A DUBLIN man accused of murder told gardaí he was having an affair with a married woman on the night of the murder, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Brian Rattigan (28), Cooley Road, Drimnagh, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Declan Gavin (20), Mourne Road, Drimnagh, at Crumlin Road, Crumlin on August 25th, 2001.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Rattigan got out of a Nissan Micra that had pulled up outside the Abrakebabra fast-food outlet at Crumlin shopping centre before he stabbed Mr Gavin in a “targeted attack”.
Det Supt Dominic Hayes told Edward Comyn SC, prosecuting, that he interviewed Mr Rattigan on September 4th, 2001. When asked where he was on the night of the alleged murder, Mr Rattigan said he was with a married woman whose “fella was away”.
The jury heard that Mr Rattigan said he would not tell gardaí who she is. When pressed further, he said: “No f**king way, you can find her for yourself.”
Mr Rattigan was asked if he was near Abrakebabra at the shopping centre on the night of the murder. He replied that he had not been near Abrakebabra in “four months”. When it was put to him that “a lot of people witnessed the stabbing that night”, he said: “They can say what they like, but they will have to say it all in court.”
Brendan Grehan SC, defending, put it to Det Supt Hayes that Mr Rattigan has “no recollection” of saying he had not been to Abrakebabra for four months.
Det Supt Hayes said: “His replies were noted. He agreed they were correct.”
Det Garda Damien Scanlon told the court that he took Mr Rattigan’s finger and palm prints on November 22nd, 2001 and gave them to Det Garda Declan Treacy who was working at the fingerprint section of the Garda Technical Bureau.
Det Garda Caroline Hughes said she took photos of finger marks that were on the window of Abrakebabra at the shopping centre on August 25th, 2001.
The trial resumes on Monday.