A murder accused told garda∅ that he was near the scene on the night the victim was kicked to death, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Garda Leonard O'Sullivan told the jury he went to a flat on Little O'Curry Street, in Limerick, on August 13th 1997, the day after barman Mr Noel Pyper, was killed. He was carrying out routine inquiries. Garda O'Sullivan said he met Mr Anthony Casey and another man at the flat and asked them to account for their movements between 7 p.m. and 9 a.m. on the day of the killing.
The witness said Mr Anthony Casey replied that he had been drinking in Foley's Bar in the city from 9 p.m. on August 11th until 12.30 a.m. on the 12th. He walked down O'Connell Street at 4 a.m. where he was stopped by garda∅ for a drug search.
Garda O'Sullivan told the court that the accused said he "went to the toilet in the lane where the assault took place at approximately 2.40 a.m., at the bins".
When asked if it was clear which lane Mr Casey was referring to, the witness said it was the lane where "Mr Pyper's body was found the next morning". He went for a walk between 6 a.m. and 6.30 a.m. and went back to a flat on Mallow Street where his girlfriend lived with her sister.
The garda agreed that at the time he questioned Mr Anthony Casey, he was aware that Mr Pyper's body had been discovered beside refuse bins in Lonergan's Lane. Garda O'Sullivan was giving evidence in the trial of two Limerick men, Mr Raymond Casey (37) of Ashe Avenue, John Carew Park and Mr Anthony Casey (20) of Mount Pleasant Avenue, who have both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Pyper at or near, Newenham Street in the city, on August 12th 1997.
The trial goes into legal argument until tomorrow.