Murder accused told gardaí: 'If I did kill him I didn’t mean it'
A 24 year-old man accused of fatally stabbing his sister’s partner in Co Mayo last year told gardai, when he was charged with murder: "I didn’t kill him. If I did kill him I didn’t mean it."
Fintan McKenna (aged24), of Woodlands, Balla ,Castlebar has pleaded not guilty to murdering Francis ‘Frankie’ Heneghan (aged 24) in Kiltimagh, Co Mayo on August 12th, 2009.
Giving evidence for the second day in the Central Criminal Court, Sgt Garry Walsh told the court the accused was arrested and charged with murder seconds after his release from Swinford Garda Station, where he had been detained for questioning.
As the accused was being placed back into a cell he said: "No way I’m not a murderer. I didn’t kill him and if I did kill him I didn’t mean it."
It is the prosecution’s case Mr McKenna stabbed Mr Heneghan 11 times following an altercation in a laneway at the side of the Tavren pub in Kiltimagh.
It is alleged there was considerable animosity between Mr McKenna and his sister’s partner Mr Heneghan, arising from the fact that Mr Heneghan was staying with another woman prior to his death.
Senior prosecuting counsel, Ms Pauline Walley, read to the court the final garda interviews conducted with the accused during his detention.
The accused who told gardai he was attacked in the laneway, admitted stabbing the deceased twice but said he did it to save his own life.
"I stabbed him to save my own life. My life is effectively over now I may as well have stabbed myself," he said.
When asked by Sgt Walsh what the cause of friction between himself and the deceased was the accused replied: "We never liked each other. He is scum."
He said the last time he was talking to his sister, Grace McKenna, he learnt that Mr Heneghan was cheating on her with a girl called Sinead.
He told gardaí he wished he had been sober on the night of the killing saying: "I was drinking smoking cannabis and I took tablets I never took before."
Sgt Walsh told the court that seconds after his release from Swinford garda station, following two days of questioning, Mr McKenna was arrested and charged with the murder of Mr Heneghan.
Earlier, Dr Tim Glavey, told Ms Walley SC he examined the accused at Swinford garda station two days after the killing.
He noted the accused was very quiet and co-operative and had only one visible injury, a small laceration to his upper lip.
During cross-examination, Mr Martin Giblin SC, defending, put it to Dr Glavey the accused also had a mark on his left cheek, as was noted in the custody records by gardaí.
Dr Glavey replied that no such mark was filed in his report because he did not see any.
The jury were shown a small extract from the video footage of garda interviews in which the accused was depicted shaking his head saying: "I didn’t kill him there is no way."
Mr Gilblin SC put it to Dr Glavey that a red mark was clearly visible above Mr McKenna’s left eye and there was swelling on his cheekbone.
Dr Glavey denied seeing these on the accused during his examination and said they could have been caused by the rough bedding in his cell.
Mr Gilblin asked the witness if he felt he had conducted a thorough examination to which he replied: "My examination was perhaps a bit short."
The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice John Edwards.
