Man (37) shot dead at his front door as he spoke to mother on phone, court hears

A 37-year-old man who was known to gardaí was shot dead as he spoke to his mother on the phone at the front door of his home, a Central Criminal Court trial has heard.

Roisin Lacey SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions on Thursday opened the trial of 25-year-old Lorcan Merriman from Lealand Close in Clondalkin who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Farnan at Kilcronan Close Clondalkin on April 25th or 26th, 2016.

Ms Lacey told the jury of nine men and three women that the deceased was at home speaking to his mother on the phone on the evening of April 25th. His partner was in a bedroom upstairs when, at 11.43pm, Mr Farnan heard a knock on the front door. When he went to open it he was shot at least five times, counsel said, and died almost immediately.

Neighbours came to help and some of them will give evidence of seeing a lone male running out of Kilcronan Close holding a gun and with his face covered by a balaclava or ski mask. Ms Lacey told the jury that State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan will detail nine gunshot injuries and will say Mr Farnan was shot at least five times. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest with injuries to the abdomen, left elbow and pelvis contributing to death.

Ballistics experts, counsel said, will say that the weapon used was a Luger 9mm automatic pistol. The weapon used to kill Mr Farnan has not been recovered.

Ms Lacey told the jury that there had been an altercation between Mr Merriman and the deceased two or three days prior to the shooting. She said the jury will view CCTV footage which will show the gunman walking along the Grand Canal towards Mr Farnan’s home at 11.23pm on the night of the shooting. He left on foot using the same route, counsel said, and walked to an area adjacent to the accused’s mother’s home.

Mr Merriman was arrested on August 11th, 2017 and questioned at Clondalkin Garda Station. He denied any involvement in the murder, counsel said.

Counsel told the jury that besides the evidence of people at the scene, the prosecution will call CCTV and mobile phone location evidence. The trial continues before the jury and Mr Justice David Keane.