Father-of-one Jordan Davis was warned by a drug dealer – "I'm on your case mate, it won't be long" and "soon, very soon bang bang" – 19 days before he was shot to death as he pushed a pram carrying his four-month-old son in a laneway on Dublin's northside, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
A detective has previously given evidence that drug "tick lists" found at two addresses linked to drug dealer Robert "Roo" Redmond had contained the name "Jordo" – the same nickname Jordan Davis was known by – with amounts up to €153,000 recorded as owing.
The prosecution contend that Robert Redmond is the older brother of accused woman Rachel Redmond (34), who is accused of driving the alleged shooter – her then partner Wayne Cooney – away from the scene and later checking him into a hotel in an effort to help him evade prosecution.
It is also the State's case that Robert Redmond was engaged "in some acrimony" with 22-year-old drug dealer Jordan Davis, who was murdered in broad daylight by a lone gunman on a distinctive orange bike at 4pm on May 22nd, 2019.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Detective Garda Kevin Farrell told Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing SC, prosecuting, that he examined an iPhone and two Nokia devices in May 2019, which were found on the body of Jordan Davis.
The detective said he used the software 'Cellebrite' to extract data from the iPhone and had found a thread of WhatsApp messages exchanged between Mr Davis' phone and a phone number saved on the deceased's handset as 'Rew', which ended in the numbers 858.
Det Gda Farrell agreed with the prosecutor that the message exchange took place on May 3rd, 2019 – 19 days before Mr Davis was murdered.
A series of messages were sent from the number saved as 'Rew' to Mr Davis' phone at 9.49am on the morning of May 3rd beginning with: "How much you give him in total about 3k".
Another message sent a minute late from the number saved as 'Rew' to Mr Davis said: "You haven't gave him anymore than 10K you owed 70K so thats how you owe 60K or over" [sic].
Mr Davis sent a message at 1.29pm saying: "3K get your facts right to you even talk to him pal".
The number saved as 'Rew' says at 1.34pm "they didn't add anything on" followed by "someone be onto you today".
Mr Davis replies: "classic Robert" to which 'Rew' asked "you on the gear or something".
At 1.36pm 'Rew' says to Mr Davis: "Lad who you trying to be".
A minute later 'Rew' sent a message to Mr Davis' phone saying: "Fucking clown that can't pay bills trying to be a big man. I heard a lot about you trust me I'll get you soon".
'Rew' also says in a message: "I'm on your case mate it won't be long" followed by a series of 13 or 14 laughing emojis.
The next message sent from 'Rew' to Mr Davis at 1.38pm says: "Get off me phone soon, very soon bang bang" to which Mr Davis replies: "Nice one mate".
Ashling McNally previously told the jury that she had been going out with Rachel Redmond's brother Robert Redmond, of Streamville Road in Donaghmede, for about three years in May 2019 before the relationship fell apart. Ms McNally said she referred to him as Robert but others called him "Roo".
Ms McNally agreed with the prosecution that she had told gardaí in May 2019 that Robert Redmond had used a number ending in 858.
The jury has also been told that Robert Redmond pleaded guilty in May 2013 to the possession of heroin worth almost €37,000 and was jailed for five years.
Ms Redmond, from Coolock but with an address at Clifdenville Road, Cliftonville Avenue, North Belfast, Co Antrim, is charged on two counts that on or about May 22nd, 2019, in the county of the City of Dublin, did knowingly or believing that another person, namely Wayne Cooney, committed an arrestable offence, to wit murder, without reasonable excuse did an act with intent to impede his apprehension or prosecution.
Ms Redmond has pleaded not guilty to the two counts.
The jury have been told that the prosecution have to establish that Ms Redmond, who was in a relationship with Mr Cooney at the time, knew or believed he had committed the murder.
The trial continues on Friday before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury of three men and nine women.
