Plastic from ‘murder scene’ fit broken light on jeep seized at accused’s home

Gardaí matched plastic found at the scene of an alleged murder to the broken headlight of a jeep seized at the home of the accused, a trial has heard.

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

Det Garda Ronan Lawlor, of the Garda Technical Bureau, told the Central Criminal Court trial that he took two pieces of plastic lifted from the road near where Mr Reilly was found dying from his injuries.

The damaged headlight of a Mercedes jeep that was parked at the Bradley home was produced for the jury and Det Garda Lawlor demonstrated that the pieces fit into the gaps of the broken lamp.

The jury heard forensic evidence relating to various cars seized by gardaí in the aftermath of Mr Reilly’s death.

Det Garda Seán Cosgrove said that on the day the investigation began he visited the Bravo Transit Garage on the Naas Road, owned by Paul Bradley.

He saw a black BMW with what he believed to be blood staining, a smashed sunroof and damage to other areas.

Det Garda Lawlor said that he examined the BMW at a garda compound and first noticed swipe marks on the bonnet which suggested it had been cleaned.

Red stains

He said blood-like red stains were visible on the lens of the front passenger side light, on the grill, the bonnet, the driver’s door and the roof around the broken sunroof.

Underneath the car he found blood stains on the front bumper, steering axle and the exhaust pipe and box. He took swabs to be sent away for forensic analysis.

The prosecution case is that Mr Reilly fired two shots at the Bradley home in the early hours of the morning, leading to a car chase that ended with the deceased suffering severe crush injuries that are consistent with being run over, and multiple chop wounds to the head, arms and torso.

The prosecution alleges that the Bradleys engaged in a joint enterprise to murder Mr Reilly.

Tadas Kandrotas told Mr Murray that he owns a business beside Mr Bradley’s garage on the Naas Road, where he was living in a mobile home in August 2017.

He said that in the early hours of August 18th, two men who he believed to be Paul Bradley’s sons knocked on his door and one of them said: “There is an accident and the car is not driving. I need a car for a few hours”.

Mr Kandrotas gave him the keys to his car, a black BMW, because he wanted to go back to bed. He said he had not seen the car since and believes it is still in the garda compound.

Mr Kandrotas’s BMW was seized at the Bradley home later that day and Det Garda Lawlor examined it but found nothing of relevance.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey asked the six men and six women of the jury to return on Monday as a legal matter needed to be addressed on Friday.