A man was shot dead as he spoke to his mother on the phone at the front door of his home, a Central Criminal Court trial has heard.
Lorcan Merriman, 25, has pleaded not guilty to murdering 37-year-old Thomas Farnan Shortt at Kilcronan Close Clondalkin on April 25 or 26, 2016.
Prosecutor Roisin Lacey told the jury the deceased was at home speaking to his mother on the phone on the evening of April 25.
His partner was in a bedroom upstairs when, at 11.43pm, Mr Farnan Shortt heard a knock on the front door. When he went to open it he was shot at least five times, counsel said, and died almost immediately. Neighbours came to help and some of them will give evidence of seeing a lone male running out of Kilcronan Close holding a gun and with his face covered by a balaclava or ski mask.
Ms Lacey told the jury that State Pathologist Dr Linda Mulligan will detail nine gunshot injuries and will say Mr Farnan Shortt was shot at least five times. The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the chest with injuries to the abdomen, left elbow and pelvis contributing to death.
Ballistics experts, counsel said, will say that the weapon used was a Luger 9mm automatic pistol but the weapon used to kill Mr Farnan Shortt, who was known to gardai, has not been recovered. Ms Lacey told the jury that there had been an altercation between Mr Merriman and the deceased two or three days prior to the shooting.
She said the jury will view CCTV footage which will show the gunman walking along the Grand Canal towards Mr Farnan Shortt’s home at 11.23pm on the night of the shooting.
He left on foot using the same route, counsel said, and walked to an area adjacent to the accused’s mother’s home.
Merriman, of Lealand Close in Clondalkin, was arrested on August 11, 2017.
He denied any involvement in the murder, counsel said.
The trial continues before the jury and Mr Justice David Keane.
