Man goes on trial over murder of Sean McCarthy in Dublin

A 38-year-old man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of a man whose body was found hidden in a Dublin apartment wardrobe two years ago.

Sean McCarthy's remains were discovered in the bedroom of the property on Achill Road in Drumcondra on 6 August 2022.

The 28-year-old died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head.

He had been reported missing from his home in Poppintree in Ballymun by his family on 4 August.

Dean Caffrey, with an address at Beaucourt on Achill Road in Drumcondra, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr McCarthy on a date unknown between 2 and 7 August 2022, both dates inclusive.

Setting out the evidence in the case, prosecuting barrister Cathleen Noctor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said Sean McCarthy was last seen on 2 August.

She told the jury the 28-year-old’s body found on 6 August in the apartment the accused was residing in and he was formally pronounced dead in the early of 7 August.

Ms Noctor said the evidence will show the accused had discharged a fire in close proximity to the deceased.

She said the clear intention could only have been to cause death, if not serious injury, to the deceased.

CCTV footage to be shown to jury

The prosecution said after attending Santry Post Office, Mr McCarthy was dropped off by his mother, relatively close to Mr Caffrey’s apartment.

The jury was told CCTV footage will show the last sighting of the deceased was at 4.15pm on Home Farm Road walking on Achill Road towards the accused’s residence.

There will also be evidence relating to telephone activity on the part of both men.

Data and call records obtained from mobile providers indicate a call from the accused to the deceased at 4.18pm on 2 August.

The deceased’s mobile phone was not recovered during the investigation.

There will also be CCTV shown during the trial, showing the accused’s movements on the day.

Ms Noctor told the jury that Mr Caffrey had travelled to Ashbourne Garda Station in Co Meath on 6 August, two days after Mr McCarthy was reported missing, and made disclosures as to where a body and a firearm might be found.

She said he told gardaí the body of a man could be found in the wardrobe of his apartment.

She said he indicated the man have been fatally wounded after a struggle over a firearm.

There will be evidence he told the gardaí he disposed of the gun in a river in Griffith Park in Drumcondra under a footbridge, a 10-to-15-minute walk from his apartment.

The jury was told it will hear evidence in respect of what Mr Caffrey had disclosed to gardaí during interviews after he was arrested.

He told gardaí he came to know the deceased when a drug debt owed by the accused to a third party was transferred to him.

He had agreed to store drugs and a firearm for the deceased in his apartment, the jury was told.

Garda interviews

When he was interviewed by gardaí, the defendant said in late July he was accused of stealing some of the heroin that was being stored in his apartment.

Ms Noctor said the accused said Mr McCarthy came to his apartment with a firearm and demanded €5,000 for the missing drugs or he was told he would "leave in a body bag" if he did not give him the money.

Mr Caffrey said while the deceased was holding the gun, standing between the kitchen and sitting room, Mr McCarthy was startled by a noise and turned around.

She said a struggle then ensued and the defendant managed to secure the firearm and discharged it in the direction of the deceased, inflicting the fatal wound.

The jury was told they would hear evidence that Mr Caffrey told gardaí the gun "just went off" during one interview.

He said he was "acting in self defence" during a second interview.

The prosecution said the jury would hear evidence that Mr McCarthy’s body was found inside a wardrobe with a cord tied around the handles.

His remains were underneath an assortment of household items and partially covered by a suitcase, wrapped in bubble wrap.

She said refuse sacks were wrapped around the body, secured with duct tape.

The jury was also told they will hear evidence from State Pathologist Dr Sally Ann Collis, who carried out a post-mortem examination on Sean McCarthy.

She determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head.

There will also be evidence set out relating to the recovery of a black pistol firearm during searches of a river in Griffith Park on 7 August, near the location the accused had given to the gardaí.

A jury of seven men and five women were sworn in yesterday to hear the trial, which is taking place before Mr Justice Paul McDermott.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.