Accused in murder trial admits driving over deceased man

Eoin Reynolds

A man on trial for murder with his father and two brothers accepts that he was driving a car that struck and went over the deceased, his barrister told the Central Criminal Court today.

Paul Bradley (54) and his sons Jason (20), Dean (24), and Ryan (18), of Liscarne Gardens, Dublin 22, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Neil Reilly (36) at Esker Glebe in Lucan, Dublin on January 18, 2017.

Matthias Kelly SC, for Dean Bradley, said his client accepts that he was the driver of a BMW that struck Neil Reilly with the result that Mr Reilly, who his client says was already on the ground, went under the car.

Brendan Grehan SC, defending Paul Bradley, told the jury that his client admits that he was the driver of a Mercedes jeep that followed Mr Reilly's Mazda car in the early hours of the morning. He accepts the Mazda crashed and Mr Bradley's jeep crashed into it at Esker Glebe. Mr Bradley then got out of his jeep and kicked Neil Reilly who was "involved in an altercation" with his son Jason Bradley.

Paul Bradley further admitted that Neil Reilly’s blood was on his boots and trouser leg and that the dead man’s phone was found in his jeep.

The prosecution alleges the four Bradley men chased and murdered Neil Reilly after Mr Reilly fired two shots at their home at around 4am. A pathologist has told the trial that the deceased had multiple chop wounds to his head, body and arms and injuries consistent with being run over by a car.

The jury earlier heard from Graham Hynes, who told Mr Grehan he met the deceased in prison and they got back in touch in late 2016. The witness denied telling a garda, following Mr Reilly's death, that he knew about Mr Reilly's plan to "blast" the Bradley home. He further denied any knowledge of a plan to fire shots at a garage owned by the Bradleys or of a plan to shoot their dog.

The witness denied telling the same garda that a lot of people were upset about how Mr Reilly died and there would be “retaliation against the entire Bradley family”.

While Mr Hynes accepted that he had been prosecuted for a firearms offence in the past, he said he didn’t know Neil Reilly had a shotgun and denied that Mr Reilly asked him for advice about the gun.

The trial continues tomorrow in front of Justice Paul Coffey and a jury of six women and five men. One juror was discharged.