A Co Meath man charged with murder wept when he was told another person had died following an incident at a disco, the Central Criminal Court has been told.
Garda Michael Moran said Mr Patrick Carry (18) had become very upset and had said "Is he dead? Tell me he's not dead" when he spoke to him shortly after the incident.
Garda Moran was giving evidence on the fifth day of the trial of Mr Carry, of Headfort Grove, Kells, Co Meath, who has denied the murder of Mr Tony Kenny (17), at Carrickatober, Crosskeys Co Cavan, on March 6th 1994.
Garda Moran said that when he went to the Carrig Springs at Crosskeys about 2.50 a.m. on March 6th, 1994, there was a large, hostile crowd outside the premises. He also learned that Mr Kenny had died following an incident outside the disco.
He spoke to two youths who both gave their names and addresses.
The witness said Mr Carry had said he was walking on the grass outside the disco with his girlfriend when he was jumped on and knocked to the ground. He said "They were hitting me and kicking me. I hit one fellow while I was in on the ground. I think I hit him in the jaw. I kept hitting him three or four times."
Mr Carry had also said the other youth had jumped in and pulled one fellow away and "kept hitting him". The defendant said "I only went there for the crack. I didn't want trouble."
Garda Moran said he noted Mr Carry's lip was bleeding and cut, his neck was red on one side and he had scratches on his lower arms.
Garda Moran said Mr Carry and the other youth were handcuffed together for about IS minutes because the gardai felt they were under threat from the crowd outside. Later both youths were freed from the handcuffs and arrested and taken to Cavan Garda station.
Det Garda Richard Caplice said he had written down a statement made by the defendant on April 7th, 1994. Mr Carry, his parents and solicitor were present and all had signed the statement.
In the statement, Mr Carry said that after the Carrig Springs disco finished on March 6th, 1994, he sat in a bus outside and then got out to look for his friends. He saw one of his friends shouting at a person and grabbed him but his friend was abusive.
In the statement, Mr Carry said some people present began to laugh at him and a fellow with long hair "began joking at me". He said he "felt annoyed" and was humiliated and upset. He said he struck the youth with his fists and a fight broke out.
Mr Carry had told gardai the youth with whom he was fighting slipped and rolled on his side near a bus. "I don't know what happened me," Mr Carry said in the statement. "I just kept on kicking him. I was very upset. I kicked him four times roughly to the upper body but I did not kick him in the head to my knowledge."
"If I did it was accidental and I did not mean to," he said. "The person on the ground had his hands over his chest but he was not moving. It all happened so fast. I was so upset, I could not stop. I couldn't help it."
He said he had made a statement on March 6th, 1994, denying his part in the incident. He was afraid and upset and had become withdrawn. He was going to go to the Garda numerous times to tell them he made the wrong statement.
The witness told Mr John Rogers SC, defending, he believed the defendant was telling the truth as he understood it in his April 7th statement.
The trial continues today.