Two people are still being sought for the murder of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Co Limerick in 1996, the Special Criminal Court has been told.
Yesterday was the fifth day of the trial of four men accused of the capital murder of Det Garda McCabe (52), a father of five, during an abortive post office van robbery at Adare in Co Limerick on June 7th of that year.
A fifth man also denies charges connected with the murder and an attempted post office van robbery.
Mr George Bermingham, prosecuting, said that two marks were found by Garda fingerprint specialists on a stolen Mitsubishi Lancer car used by the raiders to make their getaway. "Those two people are still being sought in relation to this crime," he added.
Det Sgt Christopher O'Brien told the court that despite an exhaustive examination of two vehicles, the Lancer and a Mitsubishi Pajero jeep, used by the raiders, no fingerprints relating to any of the defendants were found. He said gardai had dismantled the vehicles as part of the examination.
The four men facing capital murder charges are Mr Pearse McCauley (34), from Strabane, Co Tyrone, with no fixed address, and three Co Limerick men, Mr Jeremiah Sheehy (36), of Abbey Park, Rathkeale, Mr Michael O'Neill (46), of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell, and Mr Kevin Walsh (42), also of Lisheen Park, Patrickswell.
Mr O'Neill, Mr Sheehy, Mr McCauley and Mr Walsh pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Garda McCabe in Adare on June 7th, 1996 and to the attempted murder of his colleague, Det Garda Ben O'Sullivan, on the same date.
They also denied possession of firearms with intent to endanger life at Adare on June 7th, 1996, conspiracy to commit a robbery in Adare between June 5th and 8th, 1996, and possession of a quantity of assorted ammunition with intent to endanger life at Adare on June 7th, 1996.
The four also pleaded not guilty to the unlawful possession of two rifles, a handgun and a shotgun at Clonolea, Toomevara, Nenagh, Co Tipperary on June 7th, 1996, and to possession of three shotgun cartridges at Clonolea on the same date.
Mr John Quinn (30), of Faha, Patrickswell, Co Limerick denied the unlawful possession of ammunition at Patrickswell on June 6th, 1996 and conspiring with others between June 5th and 8th, 1996 to commit a robbery at Adare.
Det Sgt O'Brien said that he took finger and palm prints from Mr McCauley at Henry Street Garda station in Limerick on October 4th, 1997. Mr McCauley refused to answer when asked for his name, address and date of birth.
Det Sgt Declan Buckley, of the fingerprint section, said that he examined the two vehicles used by the raiders and that no prints relating to any of the accused were found. He said he took finger and palm prints from Mr John Quinn on June 10th, 1996 at Henry Street Garda station.
Ms Kathleen O'Donnell, a schoolteacher from Ballina, Co Mayo, told the court that she travelled to Dublin on June 4th, 1996. She parked her new Mitsubishi Lancer outside a house in Sandymount where she was staying.
Next morning the owner of the house told her car was missing. She later identified a Lancer which gardai recovered near Kilmallock in Co Limerick.
She said she did not own either a bullet, a container of petrol or a hatchet found in her car.
Earlier, Ms Eleanor Harty told the court she was estranged from her husband and lived in 1996 in Co Limerick. She met the defendant, Mr John Quinn, in August 1993 and formed a relationship with him in November of that year. He lived with her on her farm and worked as a carpenter in his brother's construction firm.
On Thursday, June 6th, Mr Quinn asked to borrow her car and said he was going to Mullingar to collect a man who was ill. He left at around 9.30 p.m. and returned at around 2 a.m. the next day. They were at breakfast together when they heard on the news about the shooting in Adare.
Ms Harty said that Mr Quinn's reaction was the same as hers. "It was very shocking," she added.
She said that on the Sunday after the shooting she noticed a stain on the ground where Mr Quinn's van had been parked. She thought it was diesel. She estimated the stain went for about 100 yards.
The prosecution has claimed that Mr Quinn procured diesel fuel used by the Adare raiders in the stolen Pajero.
She said that on the Saturday night she was at home with Mr Quinn and a woman friend when the phone rang at around 12.45 a.m. Mr Quinn answered the phone and had a conversation which lasted two or three seconds.
He told her he did not know who was on the phone.
Cross-examined by Mr Quinn's counsel, Ms Eilis McDermott QC, Ms Harty said she had seen Mr Quinn about five minutes before he was arrested and taken to Henry Street Garda station. She said he had no injuries and there were no unusual marks on his body.
The trial resumes next Tuesday.