A BIKER died from injuries caused by a bullet fired into his head from a foot or less, the Central Criminal Court has been told. Mr Stephen Murphy died some hours after he was shot, said the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison.
Dr Harbison was giving evidence yesterday on the second day of the trial of Mr Dermot Griffin (36), of Windmill Road, Crumlin, Dublin, who has denied the murder at Carnew, Co Wicklow, on May 1st, 1994, of Mr Murphy (34), a bank porter, of Copperfield Close, Mornington, Drogheda, Co Meath.
Mr Griffin also denied having a Mauser pistol for unlawful purposes at Carnew on the same date.
He pleaded not guilty to four other charges: having a gun and ammunition for unlawful purposes at Windmill Road, Crumlin, on April 29th, 1994 and having a gun and ammunition for unlawful purposes at Rathnew on April 30th, 1994.
The trial has heard Mr Murphy had attended a bikers' rally at Carnew on April 29th to May 1st in 1994.
Mr Justice Morris discharged a second juror from the case yesterday leaving a 10-member jury. The judge had received a letter from the juror's father stating his son was a second cousin of the deceased.
Dr Harbison carried out the post-mortem and concluded that Mr Murphy had died from subdural haemorrhage and laceration of the brain due to a single bullet wound to the head.
Dr Harbison said the shot was fired from a distance of a foot or less and had come from Mr Murphy's left side, probably while he was lying down.
Cross-examined by Mr Dennis Vaughan Buckley SC, defending, Dr Harbison agreed the bullet which caused death had not been found.
Det Garda Eugene Gilligan, of the ballistics section at Garda Headquarters, had examined the gum and ammunition. He also examined a cartridge case found near the body. He believed the cartridge case was discharged from the pistol.
On cross-examination, the witness agreed the Mauser pistol was not unique and there were others in Ireland. Marks on the pistol were the result of the manufacturing process, age and use and corresponded with marks on the cartridge case.
Det Garda Thomas Byrne said, Mr Griffin was charged with Mr Murphy's murder in October 1994. He agreed he had been, charged earlier with firearms offences.
The case is expected to resume before Mr Justice Morris and the jury this afternoon.