Court hears garda interviews in case of men accused of nailing man's foot to kitchen floor
The Special Criminal Court trial of a man accused of assaulting and falsely imprisoning another man has been listening to evidence of garda interviews conducted with the suspect.
It is the prosecution's case that three men were involved in a "joint enterprise" during which Dan Quilligan, a resident of Rathkeale, was beaten and his left foot nailed with a nail-gun to the kitchen floor of a house in Limerick.
Mark Heffernan (aged 32), Swallow Drive, John Carew Park, Limerick, has pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Quilligan, causing him harm, at an address in Larch Court on September 14, 2015.
He has also denied falsely imprisoning Mr Quilligan at the same address on the same date.
Detective Garda Patrick Whelan told prosecuting counsel Tara Burns SC today that he interviewed Mr Heffernan on May 24 last year.
The court heard that Mr Heffernan denied any involvement in the alleged assault and false imprisonment.
"I had no involvement in anything like that," he said. "It's sickening."
The gardai told Mr Heffernan that a tracking-device on a white Audi hired from Europcar had the suspect going into and out of Kennedy Park, where Larch Court is located.
"You're wrong," Mr Heffernan said. "I was not involved in any assault. You have a car, you don't have me."
The court also heard from a statement of Richard McInerney, read to the court by Ms Burns.
Mr McInerney was in the house on the day of the alleged assault, the court was told.
He said that he was in the sitting room when three men went into the kitchen, and they were arguing about owed money.
The kitchen door was opened, the court heard, and one of the men threw a bag into the sitting-room. Mr McInerney said that there were two white "painter's suits" in the bag.
"I had the feeling something was going on," he stated. "I said I'm out of here."
The prosecution closed its case today.
The trial was adjourned until Wednesday, when the defence is expected to make submissions in front of Mr Justice Tony Hunt, presiding, sitting with Judge John O'Hagan and Judge Ann Ryan.
