Addict was ‘scared’ of teen suspect
ADRUG addict jointly accused of robbery and murder said she felt “under pressure” from her codefendant and had no idea he had a knife.
Philomena McDonagh, 35, said she was scared of her co-accused Kalib Facey, 19, and only went to buy drugs with him to try to get him away from her friend’s house in Cardiff.
Asked how his behaviour that day made her feel, she told a court: “Scared. To witness his behaviour – it was frightening. It was horrible.”
The pair deny robbing Titus Dutt at his flat in Sapele Drive, Splott, and murdering drug runner Damian Hill in Oakfield Street, Roath, on May 27.
Giving evidence at Cardiff Crown Court, McDonagh said she often stayed with Mr Dutt and helped him with cooking, cleaning and shopping.
She said she left his flat and got a taxi to the docks “to score” some heroin and crack cocaine. The court heard Facey joined her in the taxi. Asked how well she knew him, she replied: “It was the third time I had met him.”
McDonagh said she thought he wanted to join her at Mr Dutt’s flat because he was looking for a “free smoke” and he told her to pretend he was her nephew so the householder would let him in.
Asked whether she wanted him in the flat, she responded she was hoping he would leave after smoking, but “he outstayed his welcome”.
The defendant said Facey helped himself to her diazepam when she went to the bathroom.
She said: “He was walking around the flat like he owned the place.”
McDonagh added: “He asked me if I had any more money for drugs. He kept asking Titus for money... Then he got angry and smashed Titus with the mirror.”
She said Facey calmed down when she threatened to call the police but kept asking Mr Dutt for his bank cards.
McDonagh said her co-defendant was “off his face” on diazepam. She then saw him put a knife in Mr Dutt’s mouth. She said she felt “disgusted” and again threatened to call the police.
The court heard she used Mr Dutt’s phone to call the “Monkey Line” – her regular drugs line – and arranged to meet a runner to buy heroin and cocaine, hoping to get rid of Facey that way.
McDonagh said Mr Dutt handed his bank cards over to Facey. Asked if she played any part in the robbery, she replied: “No.”
Asked why she was with Facey when he used the stolen bank cards, she replied: “I felt he was pressuring me. He kept on and on about the drugs. I tried to get rid of him but it was not happening.”
She said she went to Oakfield Street expecting to buy drugs from the Monkey Line runner. She stated she had no idea Facey was carrying a knife.
She said Mr Hill was not the normal runner but she knew him from school.
The defendant said she paid for the drugs but then added: “I felt something chucked in my face and the drugs were snatched out of my hand. Most of them fell on the floor.”
She told the court she was trying to pick them up when a fight broke out.
McDonagh said: “I saw Kalib punching Damian in the chest. Kalib had Damian from behind and had his hand around his neck. They both fell to the floor. Then Damian just got up and ran.”
Asked if she saw a knife, she said: “I never saw a knife at all.”
She said she did not realise the man was Mr Hill or that he had died from knife wounds until the next day.
McDonagh and Facey, both of no fixed address, deny robbery and murder.
The trial continues.