Murder accused admits writing letters about killing

The teenager charged with murdering Melanie McCarthy McNamara has admitted writing two letters in which the prosecution claims he bragged about shooting her.

Daniel McDonnell wrote the letters from his prison cell in March 2012, while on remand in St Patrick’s Institution after being charged with her murder.

Mr McDonnell (19), of Brookview Lawns in Tallaght, has pleaded not guilty to murdering 16-year-old Ms McCarthy McNamara on February 8th, 2012, at nearby Brookview Way. She was shot in the head as she sat in a car with her boyfriend and his friend.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court has already heard details of letters that Mr McDonnell asked prison staff to post to two people.

His barrister, senior counsel Patrick Marrinan, told the jury yesterday he was making a formal admission on his client’s behalf, which was to be taken as a statement of fact.

“While detained at St Patrick’s Institution, the accused admits that he wrote the two letters,” he said.

Head shots
The court heard on Tuesday that one letter contained the words: "Close-range head shots. That's what I'm going for . . . Two in the head. The bitch is dead. Ha-ha . . . Little did he know I had a loaded 12-gauge. Left his bitch all over the Sunday World front page . . . Best night of my poxy life."

In the second letter, the accused wrote: “That other thing wouldn’t have happened if I’d known she was in the car. It was meant for that other smell bag. He won’t get away with bullying my Ma.”

The prison’s chief officer, Martin Kavanagh, testified that he handed the letters over to the gardaí. He agreed with Mr Marrinan that his client was known to the institution’s staff to be one of the prisoners taking drugs.

Home-made brew
He also agreed Mr McDonnell was found to be in possession of eight litres of a home-made brew on one occasion.

The court also heard from some of the gardaí who had interviewed the accused after his arrest some weeks earlier.

Det Garda Andrew Manning of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation agreed with Mr Marrinan that he had suggested his client was stupid.

“It’s an awful thing to have on your conscience,” suggested Det Garda Manning and a colleague during the interview. “But, do you know what must be really bothering you? You ran out of petrol. How stupid is that?” they asked the accused. “You’ve left a trail that even Stevie Wonder could follow,” the detectives added.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of six men and six women.