I SPOTTED BODY IN BURNING CAR
Witness tells murder trial how she came upon horror scene
A TRIAL has heard from a witness who saw what she thought was a body slumped in a burning car.
Tighearna Reynolds was giving evidence yesterday in the case of Jason O’driscoll.
The Dubliner, with an address at Richmond Avenue, Fairview, is accused of murdering Anthony Burnett, 31, and 25-year-old Joseph Redmond on March 7, 2012, in Co Louth.
He has pleaded not guilty to both charges. The jury has been told it will be asked to use circumstantial evidence to convict him.
Ms Reynolds told the Central Criminal Court a friend was dropping her home to Ravensdale, near Dundalk, on the night in when they came upon a car on fire.
She said: “As we approached Ravensdale Park, I saw a glow in the distance by the lay-by area. “Then I noticed the flames.” She added the fire was contained to the interior of the vehicle at that stage and
said she called the fire brigade at 10.52pm. By the time they arrived 10 minutes later, the flames were coming out of the car and she heard a couple of loud noises or explosions.
Ms Reynolds said: “What I thought I saw was a body slumped over the steering wheel but [my friend] assured me it was just the seat.” Prosequestion Car in Co Louth cutor Alexander Owens had earlier told the jury the circumstantial evidence in the case was sufficient to establish 34-year-old O’driscoll was guilty of the two murders. He said the deceased had grown up in the Ballybough area of Dublin and were still living there when they died. They had little or no knowledge of Newry or the Ravensdale areas.
Mr Owens added that “things got going” around 4am on March 7 when the pair took a fairly new black Golf GTI from outside a house in Sandymount.
They had tried to sell it throughout the day and headed north towards Dundalk and Newry that evening.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael White and a jury of five women and seven men.