The third man to be charged with the murder of Tyrone dissident Michael Barr at a north inner city Dublin pub exactly six years ago has gone on trial at the Special Criminal Court.
On the night of April 25th, 2016, father-of-five Mr Barr was socialising at the pub, where he was a manager, and was shot seven times - five times in the head - after two armed males burst in wearing what have been described as 'Freddy Krueger' masks.
On Monday, at the non-jury court, Christopher Slator spoke only to plead "not guilty" to the accusation of murdering Mr Barr when the registrar read the charge to him.
Mr Slator (37) of Carnlough Road, Cabra, Dublin 7, is accused of the murder of Mr Barr at the Sunset House pub on Summerhill Parade in Dublin 1 on April 25th, 2016.
Opening the prosecution case today, Dominic McGinn SC said it will be the State's case that two armed men in boiler suits and masks that "completely covered their heads" entered the bar at around 8.30pm on the night and shot Mr Barr.
Mr McGinn said a postmortem carried out by former acting Chief State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis found the cause of death to be multiple gunshot wounds.
Mr McGinn said that these two men then ran from the bar to a waiting silver Audi vehicle, which was later observed on fire in the Walsh Road area of Drumcondra.
CCTV footage
Counsel said that it will be the State's case that three men were then seen running from the burning Audi towards a silver Mondeo to make their escape.
Mr McGinn said that a Garda investigation will show that CCTV made it possible to track the movements of the Audi from a lock-up in the North Circular Road area before the shooting to the Sunset House and then to Walsh Road.
He said that on the night of the murder gardaí arrived at the scene of the burning Audi "before the fire had taken hold" and were able to recover four firearms, two of which will be shown, through ballistics, to have been used in the shooting.
Mr McGinn said the State will show that boiler suits, full "theatrical head masks with a face on the front" and a balaclava were also recovered from the Audi.
Mobile phone
Counsel said it will be the State's case that a discarded mobile phone, found ringing by a Garda at the scene of the burning Audi, can be traced to a mobile phone shop in the Ilac Centre in Dublin. Counsel said that CCTV revealed the buyer to be Martin Aylmer of Casino Park, Marino, Dublin 3, who was jailed in 2018 for his participation in the murder.
Mr McGinn said that while no "meaningful" prints could be taken from the Audi, it is the State's case that three DNA profiles taken from masks and balaclavas in the car revealed Mr Slator's profile to be present on a mask and a pair of gloves.
Another DNA profile from the masks and a baseball cap, said counsel, belonged to Eamon Cumberton, of Mountjoy Street, Dublin 7, who was jailed for life for the murder in 2019.
Mr McGinn told the three-judge court that after a search warrant was obtained by gardaí for the lock-up, officers uncovered firearms and boiler suits similar to those used in the murder.
Counsel said the prosecution will also produce evidence that on April 26th, 2016 - one day after the shooting - Mr Slator and Cumberton arrived at Dublin Airport with tickets to Bangkok, via Dubai. They did not have any luggage, counsel said.
Mr McGinn said it is the State's contention that Mr Slator got on the plane and returned to Dublin a month later but that a problem with Cumberton's passport prevented him from travelling that day. Counsel also said evidence will also show that Cumberton and the accused knew each other before the shooting.
In November 2020, David Hunter (43) of Du Cane Road, White City, London, was jailed for life for the murder of Mr Barr but has since appealed the conviction.
Presiding judge Ms Justice Tara Burns adjourned the case to tomorrow.
