AN ELDERLY man yesterday identified a rifle and a box of ammunition as belonging to him, and told the Central Criminal Court that he had not realised it was missing from his home.
Mr Edward Jamieson said he shad lived at Mountshannon, Co Clare, for the past 80 years. He owned a BSA .22 calibre rifle for 50 years to shoot vermin. He said he could not remember when he last saw the weapon. He might use it only once a year, he said, and he might possibly have last used it in mid April 1994 when he shot a magpie.
He said he kept the rifle in a wardrobe in his bedroom. After he heard that Ms Fiona Sampson shad been held up with a rifle he noted it was missing and reported it to gardai.
He said he had not given anyone permission to use it. His house was unoccupied on a regular basis, and he would not always lock it.
He was shown a rifle and said it was his gun. He was also shown a Mansion polish tin box with ammunition and said that also belonged to him. The box had gone missing about the same time as the rifle, he said, and he had no idea how many bullets were in the box. There could have been 100, he said.
Examining the box, he said: "These are my bullets, definitely." They were high velocity bullets. He said he gave the defendant a lift on one occasion but he could not remember the date.
Mr Jamieson was giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of Mr Brendan Patrick O'Donnell, a native of Co Clare but of no fixed abode. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Imelda Riney (29) and her son Liam (3) between April 28th and May 8th, 1994. He has also denied the murder of Father Joseph Walsh (37) between May 3rd and May 8th, 1994, and falsely imprisoning him.
Mr O'Donnell has pleaded not guilty to kidnapping Ms Fiona Sampson and Mr Edward Cleary on May 7th, 1994, and to hijacking vehicles driven by both of them. He has further denied having a shotgun and ammunition with intent to endanger life and for unlawful purposes on the same date.
A sister of the late Father Joseph Walsh was overcome when she was shown a slate grey anorak with mustard insets by Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting.
Ms Margaret Maher agreed that it was very similar to one Father Walsh wore and said he liked the paisley pattern on the lining. She said she had collected her brother's clothing from his house at Eyrecourt, Co Galway, after he had disappeared and noted an anorak was missing.
Ms Maher said she had seen her brother at his house on Sunday, May 1st, just days before he disappeared. She said he was wearing a gold watch with a black face and expanding bracelet which he was fond of; it had been given to him as a present some years previously.
Mr Denis Woods, of Woodpark, Mountshannon, Co Clare, said he was employed in the Forestry Department from 1978 to 1993. He offered to help search the woods in the area when he learned of the disappearance of the three people.
He was searching in the Cregg Wood area with two other people on the night of May 7th.
At about 7.40p.m. he found the body of Father Walsh, Mr Woods said. There was no sign of life.
He did not interfere with the body in any way. He said it was found about a mile from Cregg Cross and 300 metres from the main road.
Yesterday's hearing ended less than an hour after it began at 11.35 a.m., when Mr Charleton told the court that no more progress could be made at this stage.
Mr Justice Lavan told the jury that the case had several aspects. One was now finished and the case could not proceed any further yesterday. He said counsel had reduced the evidence considerably and asked the jury to return to court on Monday at noon.
At the end of the hearing, at the suggestion of Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, Mr Justice Lavan told the jury they might find it easier in their own minds "if you don't read the newspapers".