A jury has heard that a man accused of firing his shotgun several times during a 21-hour siege in Gort had never intended to hurt anyone but that he had wanted gardai to shoot him by instigating a “suicide by cop” scenario.
The Galway Circuit Court heard yesterday that Anthony Burke told investigating gardai during questioning how he had “snapped” after a long day of drinking, and that there had been “a bottle of wine in one hand, a shotgun in the other, and something had to give”.
The 42-year-old with an address at 67 Crowe Street, Gort, pleaded not guilty last week to two counts of possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life but guilty to possession of these weapons with intent to cause injury to property. He also pleaded not guilty to possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life but guilty to intent to cause injury to property. A not guilty plea was entered for the charge of possession of firearms in suspicious circumstances.
Burke entered a plea of guilty to the remaining charges of possession of ammunition which was not authorised at the time, criminal damage of two Garda vehicles, two cars belonging to the public, and to a lighting unit, and to the reckless discharge of a firearm.
The incident began at 11pm on October 8, 2006, and did not end until 9pm on October 9, 2006. Burke’s partner Margaret Corless and her three children were forced to flee to a neighbour’s house. Gardai were also fired at when they approached the house to talk to Burke. A number of shots were fired through the front and back doors, as well as upstairs windows. Burke later left the house, fired at flood lights, and while crouching down between two disabled Garda cars he reloaded and aimed at gardai. A number of non-lethal rounds were fired by gardai and Burke was shot in the shoulder area before being knocked to the ground. He was arrested at UHG on October 25 and taken to Ennis Garda station for questioning.
Reading from interview statements, Detective Sgt Colm O’Malley said that Burke admitted to firing shots “recklessly” but that he did not intend to endanger life. Burke, who is a keen member of a local gun club, had been drinking with his partner early on October 8, and had consumed up to 14 pints. A row developed when the couple returned home. Burke got the shotgun, loaded it, and told his son to get out of the house with the baby. Margaret Corless managed to wrestle the gun away from him but Burke retrieved a second gun and started firing.
When a family member came to the house to talk Burke handed him a wallet, told him to look after the children, and gave his bank details. “Sounds like I was going to do away with myself,” Burke told Det Sgt O’Malley. When asked why he had started shooting Burke said: “I wasn’t myself, I couldn’t have been... I know I was thinking it had gone too far, there was no turning back.”
When Det Sgt O’Malley asked Burke if he had planned a “suicide by cop” scenario (where gardai are put in a position where they forced to shoot ) Burke replied: “At the time I couldn’t have cared less.” Burke added that his intention had been for gardai to fire at him. When asked if he had hoped to die that night Burke replied: “The way I felt, yeah because if I had to do a long stretch I wouldn’t last.”
Concluding his evidence Sgt O’Malley stated that after interviewing a significant number of people in the Gort area he had got a “favourable impression” of the accused.
The trial continues.
