A LIMERICK man probably died instantly after he was shot when he went to answer a knock at his front door, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Mr James Doyle Snr died on the night of his son James's birthday, the court was told.
Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, said it was the State's case that Mr Anthony Broderick shot Mr Doyle. He was opening the trial of Mr Broderick (22), of O'Malley Park, Limerick, who has denied the murder of Mr Doyle (49), also of O'Malley Park, in Limerick on September 3rd, 1995.
Counsel said Mr Doyle was at his home watching TV with a friend on that night when there was a knock at the door. He went to answer it and his friend heard a bang and glass breaking and went out to discover Mr Doyle lying just inside the front door with blood coming from the left side of his chest.
A doctor called to the scene had pronounced Mr Doyle dead at 11.05 p.m.
Mr Buckley said a number of witnesses would tell the court they saw Mr Broderick in O'Malley Park on the same night.
Some witnesses would say they saw a number of men running from the scene. Witnesses would say the men were wearing balaclavas and carrying shotguns.
Mr William Constable said he was a friend of the deceased and had been watching TV with him on the night of September 3rd, 1995, when there was a knock on the door about 10.30 p.m.
Mr Constable said Mr Doyle left the room to answer the door. The witness said he heard a bang. "It was a gunshot," he said. He threw himself on the floor and heard a door being kicked in and glass breaking.
He said he left the living room and went to the front door which was pushed in. Mr Doyle was lying inside the door and there was blood on his chest.
Mr Constable said Mr Doyle was unable to speak. He went for help and gardai and an ambulance arrived shortly afterwards.
The witness told Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, that he had heard a shot, the door being kicked in, glass breaking and two people running from the house.
Mr James Johnson said he was at home in O'Malley Park on the night of September 3rd, 1995 when he heard a bang like a brick hitting a door and heard a shot.
He said he looked out a window and saw two people running, coming from Mr Doyle's house. He had also seen a person kneeling down behind the pillar of Mr Doyle's gate. The person had what appeared to be a gun. He did not recognise any of the people.
He said he had gone to Mr Doyle's house and saw him lying on the ground with a gunshot wound in his chest.
Mr James Doyle said he was the son of the deceased. He said it was his birthday on September 3rd and he had called briefly to his father that night about 10 p.m. Mr Doyle said he and another man left the house some minutes later.
He said they walked past three men, including the accused, who were sitting in a parked car on a section of tarmac near a shop some houses away. He said one of the men saluted him.
Mr Doyle said the accused was sitting in the back seat leaning forward between the driver and passenger seat.
Mr Keith McCormack said he saw the accused and two other men sitting in a parked car on a stretch of tarmac at O'Malley Park on the night of September 3rd, 1995. He said the accused was in the back seat. He said he had not discussed with his friends about seeing the accused.
The trial is continuing before Mr Justice Flood and the jury.