A community activist bled to death after he was shot in both legs at close range with a single-barrelled shotgun, the Special Criminal Court in Dublin was told yesterday.
Three men pleaded not guilty of the murder of Mr Terence Madden, a 52-year-old father of three, outside his home at Monasteraden, Co Sligo on January 28th last year.
Mr Michael Joseph Herron, aged 31, single and a native of Belleek, Co Fermanagh, with an address at Chapel Street, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal also denies possession of a sawn-off shotgun with intent to endanger life on the same date.
Mr Michael Doohan, aged 34, also single and member of the Defence Forces, of Ashbury Lawn, Ballinode, Co Sligo, also denies intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Madden at Monasteraden on the same date. Mr Patrick McGrath, aged 57, a married father of 12 children, of Cuilprughlish, Gurteen, Co Sligo, also denies possession of a sawn-off shotgun with intent to enable another person to endanger life, and intentionally causing serious harm to Mr Madden on the same date.
Opening the prosecution case, Mr Peter Charleton SC said that Mr Madden was a married father of three children who was working as a FAS supervisor at the time of his death. He said Mr Madden had worked in Dublin but returned to his home town of Monasteraden where he was "a well respected and well-liked man."
He said the circumstances which led to his murder occurred with the death in October 1997 of Mr Gerard Doohan, the father of Mr Michael Doohan. Mr Charleton said the Doohans and Maddens were neighbours. Mr Gerard Doohan died of natural causes and Mr Terence Madden turned up at his funeral to sympathise with his family.
"It was this event among others, which can only be described as petty or trifling, which led to the demonisation of Terence Madden and a determination to teach him a lesson," Mr Charleton said.
Mr Herron, Mr McGrath and Mr Doohan were engaged in a common design to kill Mr Madden, continued Mr Charleton. On the morning of January 28th, 1999 Mr Madden got up at 7.20 a.m. and prepared to travel to Dublin for a meeting. At about 7.50 a.m. a shot rang out near the Madden household. Mr Charleton said Mr Madden suffered gunshot wounds in the back of both thighs. The trajectory of the wound in his right leg was consistent with someone standing over him and discharging a second shot after he had been brought down by a first shot in the left leg.
He said it was the prosecution case that these wounds were inflicted by a single-barrelled sawn-off shotgun. The result of the second shot was that the main artery and vein were severed and, within minutes, Mr Madden bled to death. He said Mr Michael Joseph Herron was the man who shot Mr Madden and he had taken part in a prearranged plan with Mr Patrick McGrath and Mr Michael Doohan with the intention of causing serious injury to Mr Madden.
The vast bulk of the prosecution case against the three men rested upon their own admissions to gardai, he said. The court would also hear that on November 26th, 1998 Mr Herron was arrested by Sgt John Barry of Gurteen Garda Station after he was found sitting in a car outside the graveyard at Monasteraden.
Mr Herron was wearing two jumpers and two pairs of trousers and inside the car were a balaclava, a crowbar and jemmy bar.
The prosecution case is that this was part of a "stake-out" of Mr Madden's house. Notes found on Mr Herron contained Mr Doohan's address and mobile phone number, descriptions of cars including the late Mr Madden's red Honda Civic, and other details.
Mrs Margaret Madden told the court that her late husband got up at 7.20 a.m. to travel to Dublin for a meeting at 10.30 a.m. on January 28th last year. She said she was lying in bed. "I heard a bang and after a while I heard a thump and voices.
"Halfway down the stairs I heard another bang," she said. She went out the back door and saw her husband Terry lying flat on the ground, face down, she continued. The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, said she carried out a post-mortem examination on Mr Madden's body at Sligo General Hospital on January 29th last year. She said that Mr Madden would have survived the shotgun wound to the left leg with medical attention.
The trial continues today.