Man accused of murder told gardaí body could be found in his wardrobe, court hears

A murder accused walked into a Garda station and told officers that a man’s body could be found in his wardrobe, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.
The accused told gardaí that the deceased died during a struggle, after he had accused the defendant of stealing heroin and threatened that he would “leave in a body bag” if he didn’t give him €5,000, a barrister has told the court.
Cathleen Noctor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, opened the trial of Dean Caffrey on Thursday, saying the jury will hear that the accused travelled to the Garda station two days after Sean McCarthy had been reported missing.
Ms Noctor said Mr Caffrey was arrested and during interviews he said that Mr McCarthy had been holding a gun when he demanded the €5,000. When a struggle broke out, Mr Caffrey said he secured the firearm and discharged it, fatally wounding Mr McCarthy.
When gardaí searched Mr Caffrey’s apartment, they found the deceased in a wardrobe covered by a suitcase and a black refuse sack secured with duct tape.
Mr Caffrey (38) of Beaucourt, Achill Road, Drumcondra, Dublin 9, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Sean McCarthy (28) on a date between August 2nd and 7th, 2022, both dates inclusive, in the State.
Ms Noctor told the jury of seven men and five women that Mr McCarthy was last seen by his mother on August 2nd, 2022, when she dropped him at a location near Mr Caffrey’s home.
He was reported missing on August 4th and two days after that, Mr Caffrey travelled to Ashbourne Garda station and told gardaí that a man’s body could be found in the wardrobe of his apartment. He said the man had been fatally wounded during a struggle over a firearm.
Ms Noctor said Mr Caffrey told gardaí that he had owed money for drugs to a third party but the debt was transferred to Mr McCarthy. Mr Caffrey then agreed to store drugs and a firearm at his apartment but in late July, Mr McCarthy accused him of stealing heroin from one of the packages. On August 2nd, he said Mr McCarthy came to his apartment and demanded €5,000 for the missing heroin or Mr Caffrey would “leave in a body bag”.
Ms Noctor said the accused said during Garda interviews following his arrest that the gun “just went off” and elsewhere said he was acting in self-defence.
Ms Noctor said the accused also told gardaí that he threw the gun in the Tolka river under a footbridge about a 15-minute walk from his home. Gardaí retrieved a black pistol with a magazine from the Tolka river near the location described by the accused.
Ms Noctor said that the prosecution intends to prove that Mr Caffrey intended to kill or cause serious injury when he discharged the firearm and that he is guilty of murder.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and the jury.