Crow banger disputes
A SWISS man who owns a holiday home at Rattoo near the scene of Anthony O’Mahony’s alleged murder, has told the court about how the elderly bachelor farmer became incensed during a dispute over a, so called, crow banger device.
Michael Schumaker told the jury how, in August 2016, he and his wife had arrived to spend a few days at their ‘ tranquil’ holiday home near Rattoo Tower.
Minutes after arriving, the couple heard a “terrible bang” which was “like a bomb going off ” and left their ears ringing for some time.
Mr Schumaker said he soon learned that the loud bangs – which were repeating every two or three minutes – were coming from a ‘ crow banger’ that was positioned about four or five metres from the couple’s house on land owned by Mr O’Mahony.
Mr Schumaker said he subsequently went to Mr O’Mahony’s home to speak to him about the banger and ask him to move it.
He said that Mr O’Mahony “wasn’t pleasant”; barely opened the door and told Mr Schumaker he was “disturbing his tea”, though he eventually agreed to move the device.
After the crow banger was moved by Mr Mahony, Mr Schumaker said he saw the farmer on his land and that he, and his wife, had walked down to thank him for moving the banger.
The court heard that Mr O’Mahony was not receptive to the Schumakers’ gratitude and became extremely angry.
“He was very angry and got red in the face,” said Mr Schumaker who said Mr O’Mahony began shouting about people disturbing and bothering him.
“He was frothing at the mouth I thought he was going to have a heart attack,” Mr Schumaker said.
The court heard that Mrs Schumaker was so upset by the encounter that she started crying and vomited.
Mr Schumaker said that his encounters with Mr O’Mahony prior to the dispute over the crow banger had been brief but pleasant.
Under cross examination by defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC, Mr Schumaker said he was aware that Mr O’Mahony had a difficult relationship with the Walsh family who also lived on the road.
He said he did not know Michael Ferris well but found him to be “a very quiet, very good neighbour” who had brought the Schumakers a welcome gift when they had purchased their holiday home.
He said that Mr O’Mahony was generally “Ok provided everything was his way”.