TWO MEN HAVE gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of the attempted murder of a teenager who was shot multiple times in Dublin city centre, in what prosecution lawyers say was a “well-planned and premeditated hit”.
The victim, who was 17 at the time of the shooting, suffered life-threatening injuries at Eugene Street, Dublin 8, at around 10.55pm on the night of 24 February, 2021.
The male teenager was shot in the neck, cheek and leg after he got into a taxi outside the Eugene Street address. He was later taken to St James’ Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
The two men, Stephen Mulvey (31) and Jamie Berry (27), both formerly of Leo Fitzgerald House, Dublin 2, are both accused of the attempted murder of the now 19-year-old at Eugene Street and possession of a firearm, a Beretta pistol, with intent to endanger life on the night of 24 February, 2021.
Berry is also accused of criminal damage to a home on Eugene Street on the same night, where it is alleged that a bullet he fired passed through the front door and smashed through the glass of a cooker before lodging therein.
In opening the case for the prosecution today, Eilis Brennan SC said the teenager had stopped to call into a residence on the night and then ordered a taxi.
However, upon entering the car and sitting on the rear passenger side he was shot a number of times at close range causing heavy bleeding.
Brennan said that the injured party tried to escape the scene but had suffered one-centimetre bullet injuries to the right lower cheek, the left side of his neck and his right thigh.
Brennan said it is the State’s case that Berry was the shooter and Mulvey was assisting along with another male not before the courts.
Counsel said the two men ran from the scene of the shooting and got into a black Hyundai hatchback manned by a getaway driver that was waiting nearby.
The Hyundai was later found burned out at Greenville Avenue, Sandford Gardens, Dublin 8.
Counsel said that minutes after the shooting a car was reported as being on fire at Greenville Avenue where a Beretta pistol was recovered from the black Hyundai.
Brennan told the jury that forensic evidence will be given stating the connection of the weapon to the shooting.
She said the State’s case is that a black BMW parked nearby the burned-out Hyundai was then used by the three men as a getaway car but was stopped near the Finglas junction on the M50 at around 11.15pm after gardaí believed it to be driven in an erratic fashion, said Brennan.
The three men in the black BMW 318 gave “evasive” answers to gardaí when stopped, were arrested and then brought to Finglas Garda Station where they were searched.
Brennan said that the court will hear evidence that a pair of gardening or builders’ gloves were taken from Berry and were sent for forensic testing that revealed the presence of firearm-particle residue.
Brennan said gardaí then mounted an operation to track the movements of both the BMW and Hyundai, which she described as the “hit” car, before and after the shooting.
Both cars, she said, had been parked up at Greenville Avenue by 4.25pm on 24 February “in readiness for the shooting later that night”.
Brennan said the attempt on the teenager’s life was a “planned and premeditated attack” involving the “joint enterprise of three individuals”.
Counsel told the jury all three individuals were equally involved and responsible for what was to be a “well-planned hit”.
Brennan gave an example to the jury of seven women and five men that if one person was the driver, if another was the shooter and a final individual assisted, “then all are guilty of a joint enterprise in an attempted murder”.
Counsel said the State’s case will be a circumstantial one without a witness to the shooting itself but that a large amount of CCTV footage and forensic evidence will be put before them.
Brennan told the jury the case will feature “real evidence” and that it “will not be a trial on paper”.
Brennan told the jury that “various different pieces of evidence will be presented and if you put them together, as a jigsaw, you will be able to see the full picture and see what really happened”.
The trial continues at the Central Criminal Court before Justice Eileen Creedon.
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