A witness to the fatal shooting at Bray Boxing Club has told the Central Criminal Court that he thought someone was playing a joke when a gunman appeared at the door as the early morning fitness class began.
Andy Williams demonstrated how the gunman held the gun pointing straight ahead. He said: "I was staring, I thought this was a joke, I thought it was a fake gun, it didn't look very real. After a few seconds or so I noticed Bobby was also staring at the gun, which was between us, and I saw the gun turn and shoot Bobby in the face and he fell and that's when I knew it was real."
"I hit the deck," the witness told prosecution counsel Paul Murray SC, "and heard more gunshots after that and braced myself." He thought, "this is going to hurt," and believed he would get hit in the head or back but after a while the firing stopped. When he looked he saw trainer Pete Taylor lying on the ground.
There was a "horrible" smell of sulphur, he said. He continued: "I slowly looked out the door and down the stairs to see if it was clear and, stupidly, I went down the stairs and looked out and he [the gunman] was gone."
When he went back upstairs he could see that "Bobby was gone" and Mr Taylor was on his back being looked after by another classmate, Eddie McCann. Ian Britton had been hit in the foot.
Mr Williams called gardaí, but he couldn't say how long it took for them to arrive.
Evidence
Gerard Cervi (34), from the East Wall area in Dublin 3 has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Messett (50) at Bray Boxing Club, Bray Harbour, Bray, Co Wicklow on June 5th, 2018. He also denies the attempted murder of boxing coach Mr Taylor and Ian Britton on the same occasion.
Mr Williams said the gun was black and he only saw the gunman's arms. He was wearing thin, black, leather gloves and a long-sleeve jacket. He thought the gunman was "the same as me," about five feet nine inches, but Mr Williams agreed with defence counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, in cross-examination, that he told gardaí in 2018 he thought the gunman was taller.
The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of three men and nine women.
