This article is from page 12 of the 2006-05-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE Central Criminal Court in Tralee heard how 35-year-old Joe Greaney, a native of Limerick, implied he would “get” Ennis man Fergal Landy, after an incident in a bar a week before Mr Landy was knifed through the heart.
Greaney of Cahernane Meadows, Killarney, denies the charge of murder but has admitted the manslaughter of his best friend and former colleague between January 24 and 25 at Cahernane Meadows, Killarney.
The court previously heard evidence from Landy’s partner of how she had tried to pull his killer off him while holding their baby in her arms. Rachel Doyle told the court that Landy “looked at me and said, ‘Rachel, he has a knife. He’s after stabbing me.’” Those were his last words to her.
On the night of January 24, 2005, the two men met in the car park outside the apartment of the deceased wielding golf clubs, after the accused texted that he was going to Landy’s apartment. Greaney also carried a wide bladed kitchen knife which has been identified as the weapon which killed Landy.
Witness John Drummond, a chef at the Gleneagle Hotel and a friend of the accused joined Doyle, Landy and Greaney on the night of Sunday, January 16 at the Whitegates pub near the Cahernane Meadows housing estate where all four lived.
When Greaney went to the toilet, Drummond heard Doyle say to Landy “he’s texting me again”.
When he returned from the bathroom, Landy started shouting at Greaney “You’re a f***ing idiot when you’re drunk.”
Landy then punched the accused who fell over.
“Fergal was pointing at him, saying ‘I’ll f***ing kill you,” Drummond said.
On the walk back, Greaney was upset.
“I can’t remember exactly what he said. I’ll get Fergal, or he’ll be sorry for that, something like that,” Drummond told the court.
Evidence was given that Greaney stayed at the scene and tried to help the injured man. “I did it, I stabbed him, I am so sorry, I killed him. I am so sorry. He was my best friend,” he told Garda Brendan Cronin.
In a signed interview with Det Garda Pat Kelleher on January 25, he said he was drunk. He denied setting out to do Mr Landy harm, and only intended to frighten him.
The court also heard that Greaney was on medication for depression at the time of the incident.
The trial before a jury of seven men and five women, presided over by Justice Paul Carney, continues.