Courts / Dublin / Report

Witness describes blessing body of shooting victim

Date
2020-06-18

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

The Special Criminal Court heard testimony in the trial of David Hunter, a 41-year-old Liverpool native accused of the murder of Michael Barr at the Sunset House pub in Dublin's north inner city on 25 April 2016. An unnamed witness described crawling on the floor to bless Mr Barr's body after two masked men entered the bar and shot him seven times. She recounted that a mirror smashed during the incident and that she saw the shooters wearing Halloween-style masks. Defending barrister Ms Roisín Lacey SC questioned the witness regarding whether it was common knowledge that Mr Barr was scheduled for sentencing that week, to which the witness replied Mr Barr had mentioned going on holiday. Another witness, Stephen Clifford, stated he heard three shots and saw Mr Barr fall with blood from his neck. Nepalese barman Keshav Paudel testified that he hid behind the bar and called 999. Detective Garda David Kildea informed the court that the pub's CCTV hard drive had been seized days earlier for a separate matter. The trial, presided over by Justice Alexander Owens, is expected to last four weeks.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Witness describes blessing body of shooting victim. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

25 April Hearing Or Sentence
2020-06-18 Publication

Why: "I thought it was a joke because when I saw the two lads come in and I thought, the lads are always messing and that it might be a kissogram. CNI source report

Case subjects

David Hunter

Accused

Outcome: Defending barrister Ms Roisín Lacey SC asked the witness if it was common knowledge that Mr Barr was about to be sentenced later that same week.