This article is from page 6 of the 2012-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 6 JPG
THE State’s chief witness was labelled a liar by counsel for the defence in his closing arguments.
In her evidence to the court Jessica Kelly (23), of Lilac Court, Keyes Park, Limerick, told how on the night of September 21, 2009, she was staying in the house of Barbara Lynch. She was going out with her brother Michael Lynch who was also staying there as was his brother Gerard.
She said that during the night the back window was broken in the house. “The boys got weapons and run out the front door. I looked down [the road] and there was a man with a long gun and I didn’t get to see him clearly. Then I got shot,” she said. “I was standing out by the wall.”
She said she received a wound to her leg and went back into the house and lay down.
Defence Counsel Pat Whyms BL reminded Ms Kelly that she faced four charges following the night in question.
The 23-year-old was charged with aggravated burglary, violent disorder, criminal damage and assault causing harm following the night in question and pleaded guilty to the first three halfway through her trial. She said she did so because her solicitor told her to.
Mr Whyms told the court how, yielding an s hook, Ms Kelly had hit Mary Maxwell. He said her evidence to the court differed from her statement to Gardaí.
“You said a BMW car drove down, hit Ger Lynch and knocked him down,” he said.
He recalled how Ms Kelly told gardaí that she was picking up Gerard Lynch when the car returned and a man jumped out with a gun and directed it at her.
“Which of these two cock and bull stories about this incidents do you want the court to believe today? Was what you told the gardaí true?” he asked.
“Yes,” said Ms Kelly, “I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“No you were not,” said Mr Whyms.