A DUBLIN man accused of murdering Christopher Barry outside a bookmakers in Donnycarney in north Dublin last year was allegedly the getaway driver for the gunman who carried out the killing, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Liam Bolger (23), of Homelawn Gardens in Tallaght, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Barry (25) at Byrne’s Bookmakers on Killester Avenue on the afternoon of Saturday, September 13th, 2008.
In his opening statement, counsel for the prosecution Paddy McCarthy described the killing as a “cold, calculated, organised and planned assassination”.
“Mr Bolger was the getaway driver,” he told the court. He said this was a case of joint enterprise or common design and that the accused shared a responsibility for the actions committed.
“He was part and parcel in it,” Mr McCarthy said.
He said the deceased was shot nine times shortly after he arrived at the bookmakers at about 3pm on the afternoon in question.
The court heard that a lone gunman arrived at the scene on a motorbike, went into the bookies, “isolated” Mr Barry, who tried to run away from him, and began shooting at him.
Addressing the jury of six men and six women, Mr McCarthy said: “There was no attempted robbery, you will hear evidence that I think will satisfy you that this was not a mishap, but a planned, organised assassination.”
He said the gunman then left the scene on a motorbike and travelled a short distance to La Vista Avenue, where he set the bike on fire, before getting into a white Renault van, which Mr McCarthy alleged was driven by the accused.
It was there “for the purpose of aiding the escape of the gunman”, he told the court.
A man who was trying to park his car on La Vista Avenue became suspicious of the van and contacted gardaí, who later located it near Tallaght.
Gardaí saw two men inside the van, one of whom Mr McCarthy alleged was the accused.
Mr McCarthy said that gardaí saw a man, in the presence of Mr Bolger, wipe down the passenger side and window of the van.
He said gardaí then stopped Mr Bolger after he had parked the van and he “admitted” to them that he owned the vehicle.
There were emotional scenes in the court as a number of eye witnesses gave evidence.
Catherine Keith told the court that she had worked as manager of Byrne’s bookmakers for 12 years. She said the deceased, whom she knew as Christy, was a regular and lived on Killester Avenue.
Ms Keith said she was working behind the counter on the afternoon in question, when she heard a bang and saw a black shadow at the door. She panicked and ran to the back office with her daughter, who was also working there.
Ms Keith said she heard more shots as she barricaded herself and her daughter into the room, and then a “dead silence”. She broke down in tears as she recalled how she heard Mr Barry moaning when she walked back into the shop and people telling him to “hang on”.
The jury was also read out a statement by John Burke, who was a customer in the bookies that day.
After the shooting Mr Burke said he saw Mr Barry, who was lying in the corner, go white and he knew he was gone. He said he closed the deceased’s eyes before the ambulance came.
The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Carney.