A father accused of murder told a jury he was worn out and scared at the time he took a shotgun from under his bed and went outside and shot his son.
In the Central Criminal Court yesterday, the accused father denied a prosecution suggestion that he had intentionally shot his son to alleviate an intolerable situation for him and his family.
Mr Gerry Connell (54) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his son Barry Connell (25) at the family home in Clyduff West, Lisnagry, Co Limerick, on June 9th, 1999.
In cross-examination, he told Mr John Edwards SC, prosecuting: "I never ever set out to hurt or to kill Barry."
His son was "very, very aggressive" when he had been drinking, he said.
On the night of the shooting, they had an argument. "I said I thought we had an agreement about drink. With that, he said 'I'll drive a fucking tractor through the house' and 'There's going to be a lot of guards around this house tonight'."
The accused said he walked into his bedroom and took a shotgun out. He did not load the gun that night, he said.
The next thing he remembered was standing along by the side of the house, he said. "Barry came from the back of the tractor and I remember lifting up the gun and firing." The trial continues before Mr Justice Liam McKechnie and a jury.