A witness to a shooting that left one man dead in his own home has told the Central Criminal Court that she saw a man running "like a hare" moments after she heard a series of loud bangs.
Another witness told the trial he heard a series of bangs and saw a man leaving the area carrying a gun in his left hand.
Bernadette Hanlon was giving evidence in the trial of Lorcan Merriman, who denies murdering Thomas Farnan in Dublin in 2016. Ms Hanlon told prosecution counsel, Roisin Lacey SC, that she lives in an apartment overlooking Mr Farnan's garden and the surrounding estate.
Ms Hanlon was watching the television comedy 'Gimme Gimme Gimme' at 11.35pm on April 25th, 2016 when she heard a bang. She said: "I jumped up and went straight to the window in my hall."
She said she heard about four more bangs and when she looked out the window she saw a person running out of Mr Farnan's driveway. Ms Hanlon said he was wearing a dark silver or grey hoodie with the hood up and was tall and thin. She added that she knew he was young because, "he ran like a hare".
She said she saw him cross the street and continue running away from the house and presumed he was running in the direction of the Grand Canal.
Plea
Lorcan Merriman (25) of Lealand Close in Clondalkin has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Farnan at Kilcronan Close, Clondalkin on April 25th or 26th, 2016.
Kyle Shorten told Fiona Murphy SC, for the defence, that he lives in Kilcronan Close and was in his bedroom when he saw someone approaching the area wearing dark clothing. He did not take much notice, but a short time later he heard a series of bangs and saw a person wearing the same dark clothing leave the area with a gun in his left hand.
Garda Keith Cleary told Ms Lacey he was on patrol in the area that night and was in nearby Melrose Place when he and his colleague received a call to go to Kilcronan Close at 11.43pm.
He arrived one minute later and spoke to a number of people who had gathered outside Mr Farnan's home, while his colleague went inside to try to help.
Garda Cleary agreed with Ms Murphy that he was in Melrose Place responding to a call from a woman who was having difficulty with her son. She told Garda Cleary the deceased, Thomas Farnan, had been to her house and said her son had taken property from him. Garda Cleary said he was there to calm things down and told the woman and her son "to be civil to one another".
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice David Keane and a jury of nine men and three women.
