A LIMERICK man has pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of his stepfather Alan ‘Cookie’ McNamara during a biker murder investigation.
28-year-old Robert Cusack with an address at Abington, Murroe had denied the charge at the Central Criminal Court when he pleaded not guilty and a jury began to hear evidence.
However, this Monday, as the second week of the trial resumed, Mr Cusack was arraigned again before the court where he changed his plea to one of guilty of impeding Gardai in the apprehension or prosecution of his stepfather in connection with the murder of Andrew O’Donoghue on Saturday June 20, 2015.
Alan ‘Cookie’ McNamara, (51), from Mountfune, Murroe, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge where it is alleged that he shot dead Mr O’Donoghue at the Road Tramps motorcycle clubhouse at Mountfune.
At the Dublin trial this week, Mr Justice Paul McDermott told the jury that Mr Cusack had pleaded guilty to the impeding offence and will be dealt with at a later date.
However, the jury of seven men and four women were told that evidence would continue in relation to Mr McNamara’s case.
The trial has previously heard that Mr McNamara, a member of the Caballeros motorcycle club, shot Mr O’Donoghue at the gates to the Road Tramps clubhouse in Murroe. It is alleged that the killing was over a biker turf war.
On Friday June 19, the night before the murder, three members of the Road Tramps had confronted Mr McNamara in Doon after he was spotted wearing a waistcoat with the Caballeros crest colours at a bar known to be frequented by the Road Tramps.
McNamara was cornered, punched and the Caballeros crest ripped from his jacket and when he got home later, a maroon car pulled up outside his home and people inside threatened to burn down his house and kill his family.
After getting a call the next morning, McNamara said that he “panicked” thinking his step son was being attacked so he loaded a shot gun and drove up the road to the Road Tramps clubhouse.
When he arrived, he saw two men and thought they had guns so he grabbed his. As he did, his hand slipped and the gun went off he said. He said the noise caused him to panic. He stopped the car and got out and said he saw Mr O’Donoghue pointing something at him.
He said: “I thought he had a gun so I fired at him.”
The trial continues before the Central Criminal Court.
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