A Dublin man who fled to Turkey after shooting dead a another man during a confrontation sparked by a fight at a christening has admitted manslaughter.
Robert Egan told gardaí that he “did not mean to shoot dead” father-of-two Wayne Doherty but meant to shoot another man, Bobby Hughes, in the legs.
Mr Doherty (32), a bread delivery man, was shot outside his parents’ home after he attempted to stop a dispute involving his friends and a group of men late on the night of July 4th, 2009.
Egan (27) of Dromheath Avenue, Mulhuddart, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin to the murder of Mr Doherty at Oakview Way, Hartstown, on July 5th, 2009 but pleaded guilty on the third day of the trial to manslaughter.
He had also pleaded guilty to the unlawful possession of a shotgun at the same address on July 4th, 2009.
Det Sgt Dan O’Callaghan told Paul Coffey SC, prosecuting, that a christening had taken place earlier in the day at a pub in Clonee.
Andrew Jameson, a friend of Egan’s and Robert Hughes, a neighbour of the deceased, were involved in a minor altercation at the christening. The altercation continued outside the public house and Mr Jameson got into a car driven by Egan and threw a pint glass at Mr Hughes.
Various phone calls were made by Mr Hughes to Mr Jameson demanding “a straightener” at Oakview Way that evening to resolve the dispute. “Each side marshalled their forces,” said Det Sgt Callaghan.
Mr Hughes arrived at the scene with his friend Eric O’Callaghan, Wayne Doherty and the deceased’s brother David Doherty.
Egan arrived in a silver Volkswagen Passat and approached the group carrying a loaded sawn-off shotgun while a group of men followed from behind. Egan had told gardaí during interviews that he had arrived at the scene with the intention of “shooting Hughes in the leg”.
Witnesses told gardaí that Mr Doherty had approached Egan and shouted at him to “go home” and pleaded with him to put the gun away. Mr Doherty sought to wrestle the gun from Egan and in doing so two shots were discharged accidentally.
One of the bullets passed over Mr Doherty’s head while the second bullet hit Mr Doherty on the side of the chest and caused multiple injuries to his abdomen and left flank.
Egan fled the scene and a friend of Mr Doherty’s called an ambulance at 11.27pm. Despite attempted by surgeons to save his life, Mr Doherty died at Connolly hospital in Blanchardstown at 5.37am on July 5th.
Det Sgt O’Callaghan said Egan then fled to Belfast where he managed to get a flight to Turkey using a false passport and false birth certificate.
He contacted gardaí on May 8th, 2010 to indicate he wanted to come home to “face charges” and was met by gardai at Dublin airport where he was arrested and interviewed over the death of Mr Doherty.
Michael O’Higgins, SC, defending said Egan’s brother Jason had been shot seven times in the back and killed by the IRA which gardaí believe was in direct retaliation for the death of Mr Doherty.
“The defendant indirectly blames himself for the death of his brother as if he hadn’t done what he did to Mr Doherty then these events wouldn’t have happened and he has to carry the burden for this,” said Mr O’Higgins. “He was polite and co-operative to gardaí and offered a manslaughter plea but this was rejected at first by the Director of Public Prosecutions but accepted on day three of the trial."
The wife of the deceased, Karen Doherty, said in court her husband “was my life, my best friend, my soul mate and he will never be replaced. She said her two children Joanne (7) and Christopher (13) have been left without a father.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy reserved judgement on the sentencing until Thursday.
Egan, who has 10 previous convictions for robberies, burglaries, unlawful possession of drugs and knives and road traffic offences, was remanded back in custody.