MR Brendan O'Donnell said he "shot them all" after he went with gardai to find the bodies of Imelda Riney and her son Liam, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Det Garda James Hanley said Mr O'Donnell had said: "At least I got the priest to pray for the woman and the youngster. The priest said `I don't mind dying'.
"I shot them all. I can't talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I must be evil . . . I will spend the rest of my life in jail. I don't give a fuck. I can do my time. I will go to Dundrum."
Det Garda Hanley was giving evidence on the 25th day of the trial of Mr O'Donnell (21), a native of Co Clare but of no fixed abode.
Mr O'Donnell has denied the murder of Imelda Riney (29), and her son Liam (3), on a date unknown between April 28th and May 8th, 1994, and has further denied the murder of Father Joseph Walsh (37), the former curate of Eyrecourt, Co Galway, between May 3rd and May 8th, 1994.
The trial opened on January 15th. Ten days later Mr Justice Lavan directed that a fitness to plead hearing be held before a separate jury which found Mr O'Donnell was fit to plead.
When the trial resumed before the jury yesterday, Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, said he had a discussion with prosecuting counsel, Mr Kevin Haugh SC.
He said: "In relation to the semen taken from the vagina of Imelda Riney by Dr Gallagher on May 9th, 1994, I would for the purposes of Section 20 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 accept that semen is that of Brendan Patrick O'Donnell, the accused in this case."
Det Garda James Hanley said the was present at several interviews with Mr O'Donnell in Loughrea Garda station on May 7th and 8th, 1994.
Mr O'Donnell had been arrested early that morning and lied first interviewed Mr O'Donnell at 9.26 p.m.
Det Garda Hanley said Mr O'Donnell had been told he had been seen in Limerick just days earlier with a car believed to be Father Walsh's. Mr O'Donnell had said he had bought the car in Limerick for £20. He said he had burned it out at Williamstown Pier in Co Clare.
Mr O'Donnell said he had taken a lift with Imelda Riney on April 28th, 1994, and said a child was in the car. He said he got out of the car at a T junction on the Portumna road, the witness said.
Det Garda Hanley said Mr O'Donnell was questioned several times about the disappearances of Imelda Riney and Liam. He had told gardai: "They're OK. Nobody will harm the child.
At another stage he had said he didn't "give a fuck" about them, that no one cared about him except his mother and she was now dead.
Later he was again asked about the death of Father Walsh and the missing people. He had said: "That's been sorted out. You have his body and the forensic will do the rest. I don't want to say any more about it. I can't tell you any more.
Asked if he accepted that he had the gun which killed Father Walsh, he said: "You find that out. You're the fucking experts."
Later, he was asked again about the whereabouts of Imelda and Liam Riney and if they were alive. He had said: "I hope they are. I wish to fuck they were found alive."
Mr O'Donnell had asked if they had searched Cregg Wood and was told Father Walsh's body had been found there. Mr O'Donnell had said to keep on searching it.
The witness said they asked Mr O'Donnell if he would show him where. He said he would go on condition there were no cameras.
On the way the radio news came on and it was reported that the body of a woman had been found in a wood in Co Clare. Det Garda Hanley said Mr O'Donnell had shouted: "You have it all now. We don't have to go any further."
They had asked him where Liam Riney was and he said: "You will find the child now. They're all shot." He became very upset and was crying. He said he wanted to go to his mother's grave and spoke about her.
He said they drove for a time and Mr O'Donnell became more calm. He said then he did not want to go to his mother's grave.
Det Garda Hanley said notes were made of what Mr O'Donnell had said but he had declined to sign them. At Loughrea station, Mr O'Donnell was put back in a cell. At 6.50 pm. that night, Det Garda Hanley said he went to an interview room where Mr O'Donnell was with another garda. He was asked to tell the truth about the three deaths and he said he would, that he would be at peace with himself and would make peace with his father. He had signed a caution at the heading of the statement but declined to sign the statement.
Later that night he was again asked if he would sign the statement. He declined and said: "What I have told you is right. I will spend the rest of my life in jail." Mr O'Donnell had then asked if he could see a priest, and arrangements were made.
Mr Tom O'Connell BL, defending, asked Det Garda Hanley if he had spent some 10 hours questioning Mr O'Donnell. The witness said he would not think it was that long. He said there were no facilities to tape record the interviews and agreed the notes taken were just a partial record of what was said.
He said Mr O'Donnell had his feet in a dish of warm water while being questioned. He was not aware Mr O'Donnell was a person with a long psychiatric history.
The witness said he learned later that Mr O'Donnell had spent a period in Dundrum and was aware of some of his background details. He did not know he had been committed to St Brigid's mental hospital in Ballinasloe. He was aware he had assaulted his sister with a knife.
Del Garda Hanley denied he had produced a gun and threatened Mr O'Donnell while questioning him. He also denied a suggestion that telephone directories were placed on top of Mr O'Donnell's head and that the directories were struck with a baton held by another garda.
The trial continues on Monday.