A YOUNG man told the Central Criminal Court yesterday that he and two other men had lied about an incident in which another man died as a result of stab wounds.
Mr Mark O'Reilly said he and the other men "started the lies" while in a Garda patrol car shortly after the fatal stabbing of Mr David Hammond in Balbriggan, Co Dublin, in the early hours of April 27th last year.
"We were just scared and we didn't know what to do," he said. He agreed he had told lies in two statements made to gardai on April 27th. He said he had told the truth in a third statement. On Wednesday another witness, Mr Paul Carroll, said he also had initially lied to gardai about the incident.
Mr O'Reilly was continuing his evidence on the third day of the trial of Mr Alan Rooney (28), of Curran Park, Balbriggan, who has denied the murder of Mr Hammond (24), also of Curran Park.
Prosecuting counsel, Ms Maureen Clark, said the State is contending that Mr Rooney stabbed Mr Hammond. She said Mr Hammond was involved in a fight with another man immediately after the stabbing incident.
Continuing his evidence yesterday, Mr O'Reilly told Ms Clark he had fought with Mr Hammond after Mr Hammond had been in a scuffle with Mr Rooney on April 27th. He said he and two other men ran for help for Mr Hammond and he went into a house and rang for an ambulance.
He said he and the two others waited at the scene and were all put into a Garda car. He said they told gardai the wrong thing because they were frightened.
Cross examined by Mr Anthony Sammon SC, defending, Mr O'Reilly said he had a row with Mr Hammond one or two weeks before the fatal stabbing.
Mr O'Reilly said he couldn't remember Mr Hammond saying: "Come on, I'll take you on as well," but agreed he had told gardai that Mr Hammond had said that.
He said he next saw Mr Hammond on the night of April 26th in Balbriggan town. Mr Hammond had asked him to fight and he had said no and gone into a bar. Mr Hammond had again asked him to fight later and he again said no and went down to the beach for 45 minutes "to settle my head" and to avoid Mr Hammond. The witness said when he came back from the beach his intention was to go home.
He had met Mr Hammond and they had fought. He said he had knocked Mr Hammond to the ground, sat on him and punched him twice in the face.
He said before he fought Mr Hammond he saw Mr Rooney hit Mr Hammond "some blows". He saw two blows to the chest and stomach. He agreed that in a statement to the gardai he had said he saw Mr Rooney inflict one punch to the face and one to the left side of Mr Hammond's body. He agreed he had told prosecution counsel he saw Mr Rooney's arms "go". He said he did not see Mr Rooney stab Mr Hammond.
The witness agreed he did not blame Mr Rooney for the stabbing in his first statement. Only in his third statement did he say that Mr Rooney had done anything to Mr Hammond, he said.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Carney and the jury.