Stephen Silver, who denies murdering Garda Colm Horkan but admits to his manslaughter, told gardaí that the deceased tried to attack him and added: "With all that's going on with the police in this world, I shot him," a prosecution barrister told the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday.
Opening Mr Silver's trial, prosecution counsel James Dwyer SC said the accused man then mentioned Black Lives Matter, which the barrister suggested may have been a reference to the murder of George Floyd in America.
Mr Dwyer also told the jury of six men and six women that an issue which they may have to consider is whether Mr Silver was "ill-disposed towards gardai" and whether that "manifested itself in his behaviour on the day he killed" Gda Horkan.
Mr Silver (46), a motorbike mechanic from Aughavard, Foxford, Co Mayo has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Garda Colm Horkan (49) knowing or being reckless as to whether he was a member of An Garda Siochana acting in accordance with his duty at Castlerea, Co Roscommon on June 17th, 2020. He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Bipolar disorder
The jury heard when they were being sworn in on Monday that the defence will be raising the issues of bipolar disorder and the accused having diminished responsibility due to mental health difficulties.
Opening the prosecution’s case on Tuesday morning, Mr Dwyer said the State takes a view on the evidence which is that Mr Silver is guilty of the crime of capital murder.
Outlining the facts of the case, the barrister said that Gda Horkan was a single man who lived with his father in Charlestown in Co Mayo and had spent almost 25 years as a member of An Garda Siochana.
At the time Gda Horkan died, Mr Dwyer said, he had not been formally appointed as a detective but had been approved by a Superintendent to carry out detective duties. He had also been authorised to carry firearms and given permission to wear plain clothes when on duty.
The accused man Ms Silver, he said, grew up on the outskirts of Castlerea, left school after his junior certificate exams, had worked as a fitness instructor for a number of years prior to June 2020 before setting up his own business as a motorcycle mechanic in Foxford where he lived. The accused was married but had been separated three months prior to the death of Gda Horkan.
The lawyer said the evidence will be that the accused had a history of mental health difficulties and a confirmed diagnosis of bipolar disorder. He also had a number of hospital admissions mainly as a younger man.
Australian woman
A number of days prior to the killing, counsel said Mr Silver was in the company of an Australian woman who was visiting Ireland and had stayed in the Carlton Hotel Dublin Airport between June 15th to 17th. The woman was flying out of Ireland on June 17th and Mr Silver left Dublin that morning.
Detailing the evidence that will be heard, Mr Dwyer said the accused travelled in a van to Castlerea arriving there in the early afternoon.
Mr Silver spoke to a friend at a train station, who showed him videos on Facebook of a garda raid earlier that month on the home of another of the accused's friends, James Coyne.
There will be evidence, Mr Dwyer said, that Mr Silver became annoyed and went to the Knockroe estate in Castlerea to call on Mr Coyne, someone he had not met for many years.
Mr Silver and Mr Coyne decided to travel together in the accused's silver van to his garage in Foxford.
En route to Foxford, Mr Silver stopped the van at Castlerea Garda Station where he got out of the vehicle and went into the public office to make a complaint to gardí about an elderly person being abused by gardaí. The accused told officers he had evidence on his phone and would be taking it further.
Motorcycle
The court will also hear evidence, the lawyer said, that Mr Silver and Mr Coyne then went to the accused's garage where Mr Coyne tried out a motorcycle. The accused told Mr Coyne: "You're a natural, you can have it". The pair returned to Castlerea at 10.30pm that evening.
The prosecution barrister went on to tell the court that the accused's van pulled up at the forecourt of Castlerea Garda Station on their way back and turned around before returning to Mr Coyne's home. When they got to the house, the men took out the motorcycle and took turns riding around a green area in the estate with no lights and no helmets.
Mr Dwyer also indicated to the jury that some of the neighbours called gardai and one neighbour recalled he heard someone who answered the description of Mr Silver shouting: "I dare the armed squad to come down here now".
The men left the estate on foot close to midnight heading towards the centre of town to buy food. Mr Silver wanted to take the route past the garda station but instead went along Patrick Street towards the junction with Main street.
Unmarked garda car
The barrister said that Gda Horkan had taken up duty that afternoon at 2pm, had his own garda issued firearm on him and was driving an unmarked Hyundai garda patrol car.
He said a neighbour had seen a car matching that description entering the Knockroe estate just before midnight, around the same time the two men had left on foot.
Counsel said the court will hear that as the men came into the centre of Castlerea at the corner of Patrick Street and Main Street, Gda Horkan pulled up beside them, and appeared to roll down the passenger window. Mr Silver spoke to the garda at the window of the vehicle.
The barrister further stated that there would be a number of accounts from various eyewitnesses including Mr Coyne about what happened afterwards. Some form of exchange took place between Mr Silver and Gda Horkan with the officer getting out of the unmarked car and approaching the accused.
Gun
According to Mr Coyne, Gda Horkan told Mr Silver he was arresting him and a physical struggle developed between them, which evolved into a struggle for the firearm, which the garda had on him.
Evidence will be that a shot from the gun was discharged and Gda Horkan was wounded. Mr Silver rolled away with the gun and proceeded to repeatedly shoot the officer. 15 cartridges were found at the scene and the gun was emptied.
At this stage, Mr Dwyer said two other gardaí arrived at the scene in a marked garda patrol car having left the Knockroe estate. They were the first gardai on the scene and had heard the shots as they drove past before turning around and blocking the road.
One of the gardaí approached Mr Silver, saw him throw the gun away and told him to lie face down.
Mr Silver told gardaí: "That man tried to attack me and with all that's going on with the police in the world, I shot him".
Mr Dwyer said the accused mentioned Black Lives Matter, which counsel suggested was a possible reference to the murder of George Floyd in America.
Mr Silver was arrested and taken to Castlerea Garda Station.
Mr Dwyer said the accused is charged with capital murder and pointed out the Oireachtas considered gardai and prison officers were deserving of special protection when acting in the course of their duty.
He said the State would have to prove that Gda Horkan was acting in the course of his duty at the time, that the accused knew that and was at the least reckless at the time.
Mr Dwyer said that an issue the jury might have to consider in the case is whether Mr Silver was ill-disposed towards An Garda Siochana and that this manifested itself in his behaviour on the day he killed the deceased.
He went on to say that the issue of diminished responsibility may arise in the case and that the jury would be assisted by forensic psychologists.
"It is suggested that Mr Silver had a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and that he was suffering from a relapse at the time he was shot and the defence say this substantially diminished his responsibility. We disagree and say Mr Silver had significant functioning mental capacity at the time he killed Gda Horkan," said Mr Dwyer.
In summary, counsel said that the accused must prove that defence on the balance of probabilities if the state proves there was an unlawful killing.
The accused's barrister, Dominic McGinn SC, made a series of admissions on his behalf.
These included that Gda Horkan died on the main street in Castlerea as a result of being shot a number of times and that his client was responsible for the shooting. He said the main issue in the case would be the state of mind of Mr Silver at the time.
The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury of six men and six women. It is expected to last six weeks.
