Second witness retracts statement made to gardaí
A second prosecution witness in a Dublin murder trial has retracted a statement to gardaí, claiming he was in fear and would have done anything to get out of the garda station.
Jonathan Douglas of O'Devaney Gardens is accused of shooting Aidan Byrne 10 times as he sat in the passenger seat of a car at Drumalee Avenue, on February 20, 2010.
The prosecution alleges Jonathan Douglas was hired to gun down Aidan Byrne at an estate off the North Circular Road.
In a garda statement, the accused's stepniece Stacey said he came to her house that Saturday evening with a gun and told her that he had shot someone.
Her boyfriend Andrew Sheridan's statement said the 27-year-old had lifted a hooded top to show a gun stuffed into his tracksuit bottoms.
Both witnesses have now retracted their statements as untrue.
On Wednesday, Stacey Douglas told the jury that gardaí had threatened her.
Today Andrew Sheridan said he had admitted possessing cocaine and cannabis and was in fear when he signed the garda statement because he had been told he was going to a cell.
