THE MAN accused of murdering rugby player Shane Geoghegan admitted that he shot him but would not say why, his trial has been told.
Barry Doyle (25), Portland Row, Dublin, and Hyde Road, Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Geoghegan on November 9th, 2008.
Mr Geoghegan (28) was shot dead in a suspected case of mistaken identity across the road from his home in Clonmore, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle.
The jury returned to the Central Criminal Court yesterday after an absence of two weeks, during which legal argument took place.
The jurors heard that Mr Doyle was arrested on suspicion of the murder on February 24th, 2009, and taken to Bruff Garda station in Limerick.
Det Garda Sgt Mark Philips of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation was among the officers who interviewed him over the following days. He outlined the interview he conducted on the evening of February 26th, after Mr Doyle had a lengthy consultation with his solicitor.
“Yeah, I shot him,” Mr Doyle said, when asked if he was involved in Mr Geoghegan’s murder. “I seen someone walking across the estate. I got out of the car and shot him. He ran. I chased him around the back of the house. I shot him again.”
He was asked if Mr Geoghegan had said anything. “Please stop,” he replied.
“How many shots did you fire? We have to know you’re telling the truth,” the detectives said.
“I’m not going to admit to a murder I didn’t do,” he replied. However, when asked again, he said he had shot him seven or eight times.
He was asked if he felt any better after telling the truth. “It doesn’t take back what I did,” he replied. He said Mr Geoghegan was half way across the road when he fired at him first but that he then ran into one of the back gardens.
He said that Mr Geoghegan was “on the ground, up against the wall” when he shot him twice in the head. He said he had seen him the first time he shot at him.
“He just turned and ran,” he said.
He was then asked if anything had happened to the gun at that point.
“It jammed . . . I tried to shoot. It didn’t click,” he said, saying that this happened two or three times. “I pulled it back.”
He said that he had never met Mr Geoghegan before and he was sorry he had shot him.
Det Garda Gerry Hogan, who had arrested Mr Doyle, testified that he interviewed him about an hour later.
He said that Mr Doyle accepted that Mr Geoghegan was an innocent man and was then asked to explain why he had been shot.
“Sorry I can’t help ye,” he replied. “I shot him. That’s all.”
He was told that the victim’s family deserved to know.
“I shot him. I’m going to get what I deserve,” he said.
“I’m not afraid of anyone,” he replied when asked.
“Why did that boy die? What are you hiding from?” he was asked.
“I’m not hiding from anything,” he insisted, telling Det Garda Hogan that he was wasting his time.
“I’m not wasting my time . . . I’ll be here waiting,” the detective replied.
“I’ll be here as well. It’s either here or a prison cell and it’s all the same to me,” Mr Doyle said. “You can ask me until next week.”
However, he accepted that the shooting had been a mistake.
“I’ll probably get life,” he added.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney.