A Meath man accused of murder told gardaí by phone that he killed his friend “because he would not give him cocaine”, the Central Criminal Court heard today.
John Mooney (29), also known as John-Paul, with an address at Trim Road, Summerhill, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Canning (42), also from Summerhill, at Lough Lene, Collinstown, Co Westmeath, on August 30th last year.
He has pleaded guilty to the unlawful killing of Mr Canning.
Opening the prosecution case, Michael Durack SC told the jury they will have to decide whether or not Mr Mooney had the “intention to kill or cause serious harm” at the time of Mr Canning’s death.
He told the jury that the men had been friends for some time. Mr Mooney had difficulties with alcohol and drugs, while Mr Canning was a separated father of two who was prone to depression.
Mr Durack said that the accused and the deceased collected their social welfare that afternoon in Summerhill and then took Mr Canning’s campervan for a drive round the area, calling in at various stops, including Castlepollard where they bought 24 cans of Miller, before ending up that evening in the carpark of Lough Lene, Collinstown.
The jury will also hear evidence from State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy that the cause of death was “a form of strangulation and that the deceased’s Adam’s Apple was fractured.”
Garda Martina Gallagher, of Kells Garda Station, told the jury that she received a call on the night of the alleged murder from a woman who identified herself as Nicola Smith.
“She said that a friend of hers, John Mooney, had killed another friend of theirs, Gizmo” - Gizmo was Mr Canning’s nickname.
After Ms Smith gave Garda Gallagher a phone number for Mr Mooney, she called him and he informed her that he had killed his friend, she said. “He asked us to please hurry, to get the gardaí to come. There was an urgency in his voice.”
Gda Martin Fox, of Granard Garda Station, told the court that he received a call from Mr Mooney at 3.42am that morning.
“He told me that he had just killed his friend. He said they’d been taking cocaine and had been drinking beer all day and that he asked his friend to give him more cocaine which he refused to give him and that that’s why he killed him.”
The trial continues.