The mother of a 22-year-old man who was shot dead as he pushed a pram containing his four-month-old son knew he was dealing drugs when he started buying nice clothes and travelling to Amsterdam, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
The court also heard that when he was arrested in relation to the murder of Jordan Davis, the accused man, Wayne Cooney, told a garda: "Who's that? I know nothing of any murder."
The prosecution alleges that Mr Davis was shot dead after he failed to repay a €70,000 debt to a known drug dealer in north Dublin.
On Tuesday, Mr Davis's mother Sandra Davis told the court she noticed a change in her son when he started buying "lots of nice clothes" like Nike and Adidas tracksuits and runners.
She said she told him she did not want trouble but he told her he was just selling "a bit of green". He always seemed to have a lot of cash, she said, and she knew he was getting it from drugs. When Jordan's partner became pregnant he bought a buggy that cost over €1,500, she added.
She also recalled that he started receiving threatening text messages.
Under cross-examination, Ms Davis agreed with defence counsel, Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, that in a statement to gardaí following her son's death, she spoke about two men coming looking for her son at her house. They asked her: "Where's Jordan? Where's the f*cking pr*ck?"
'Downhill'
Things started to "go downhill" after January 2019, she said, when Jordan's "so-called friends" all disappeared.
In March that year, five men appeared in her garden. One of them shouted at Ms Davis: "Tell Jordan to pay his f*cking bills, it's not over, tell Jordan we'll be back."
That night the windows of the house were smashed, she said.
By May 2019 she said Jordan "seemed to believe that things were ok" and he began to relax. "He sorted it out, he said he sorted it out," she said.
Ms Davis also agreed that one night she noticed Jordan was in his room with a girl. Ms Davis told gardaí the name of the girl and the name of the girl's boyfriend. She left in a taxi at about 12pm and Jordan took a shower. "He was in great form," Ms Davis said.
She agreed that Jordan had been friends with Sean Little, who was shot dead on May 21st, 2019.
Wayne Cooney (31), with an address at Glenshane Drive in Tallaght, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jordan Davis (22) at a lane-way beside Our Lady of Immaculate National School in Darndale, Dublin on May 22nd, 2019.
He has also pleaded not guilty to possessing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and to possessing ammunition in circumstances that give rise to the reasonable inference that he did not have them for lawful purposes.
Messages
Gda Kevin Farrell told prosecution counsel Bernard Condon SC that he examined an iPhone belonging to Mr Davis on May 22nd, 2019.
He found an exchange of 27 messages with a man who the prosecution alleges was a drug dealer in the Coolock area. The man can only be named as CD due to a court order. Gda Farrell said the messages related to a €70,000 drug debt owed by Mr Davis to CD.
In one set of messages CD said: "Lad who you trying to be? F*cking clowns that can't pay bills trying to play the big man." He later told him: "I'm on your case mate, won't be long."
His final message to Mr Davis was: "Get off me phone, soon, very soon, bang bang." Mr Davis replied: "Nice one mate."
Det Gda Adam Roche told Mr Condon that he searched CD's home in November 2018 and found a small amount of cannabis and a "tick list" with names and numbers. He said it was an account of amounts owed for drugs. Tick lists are sometimes found during drug searches, he said.
One of the names on the list was 'Jordo' with an amount owed of €3,000. The garda said he believed the list belonged to CD and that Jordo was the deceased Jordan Davis.
The garda agreed with Mr Ó Lideadha that there were 18 names on the list and the total sum owed was about €800,000.
Substantial operation
Gda Brian Healy searched a premises in Dublin on January 30th, 2019. When gardaí arrived CD was present with his partner, children and his mother.
Gardaí seized cash, drugs and another "drugs tick list". Gda Healy said he believed the tick list belonged to CD and he identified a payment owed by someone named 'Jordo' of €70,000.
The garda agreed with Mr Ó Lideadha that the tick list appeared to show a substantial drug dealing operation involving a large number of people.
Sgt Shane Behan told Mr Condon that he was on patrol on Grafton Street in Dublin on August 22nd, 2018 when he saw CD, Jordan Davis and a third person walking together. He smelted cannabis and stopped them to search them.
When he asked if any of them was in possession of a controlled substance, Jordan Davis handed him two small bags of cannabis. Sgt Behan took the three men to a Garda station for a more thorough search but found no more drugs.
Det Gda Neil Plunkett told Mr Condon that he arrested Mr Cooney on June 18th, 2019 as part of a planned operation. He said he told Mr Cooney he was arresting him in respect of the murder of Jordan Davis.
The detective wrote in his Garda notebook that following his arrest Mr Cooney said: "Who's that? I know nothing of any murder."
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of eight men and four women.
