A handyman accused of impeding an investigation into the dismemberment of a retired grandmother denied to gardaí that he assisted her alleged murderer in the aftermath.
Father-of-two Keith Johnston also told interviewing detectives that he had not been "sucked in" and denied that accused Kieran Greene was "useless" when it came to labour and had needed his assistance. "Ah come on he is not a two-year-old," Mr Johnston told gardaí.
The “trusted member” of Patricia O’Connor’s family denied being at the site of a shallow grave in Wexford and when asked if he had to travel there to help Mr Greene, he replied: “What, dig her up, are you kidding? No.”
The accused man accepted he went on a “shopping spree” with Mr Greene the day before Mrs O’Connor’s body was found dismembered in the Wicklow mountains but told gardaí he had not “put two and two together”.
The jury was on Thursday listening to the final three interviews given by Mr Johnston to gardaí on September 26th and 27th, 2017. Mr Johnston is the ex-partner of the deceased’s daughter, Louise O’Connor and father to two of her five children.
Mr Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24 is charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence, to wit the murder of Patricia O’Connor (61) on May 29th, 2017.
The jury has heard that the body of Mrs O’Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10th and 14th 2017.
Redecorated bathroom
It is the prosecution’s case that Mrs O’Connor was already lying dead in a shallow grave in Wexford but not yet dismembered when Mr Johnston assisted Mr Greene in purchasing various DIY items.
It is also the State’s contention that Mr Johnston redecorated the bathroom at Mountainview Park in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the alleged murder of Mrs O’Connor.
The Central Criminal Court trial has heard that while in custody, Mr Greene changed his account of killing and dismembering his partner’s mother, six months after he was charged with her murder. He claimed in his last interview in December 2017 that Mr Johnston “made a plan” and cut up Mrs O’Connor’s body parts beside a shallow grave in Wexford before directing him up the Wicklow mountains, where they both disposed of her remains.
In his third interview, gardaí told Mr Johnston that Mrs O’Connor’s body had been cut up and asked him if he had any idea where Mr Greene had got the tools. “The shed is the best guess,” he replied, adding there was hammers, chisels, tile cutters and pickaxes in the shed at Mountainview.
Detectives produced a number of receipts found in Mountainview from various DIY shops where items including a tow rope, utility knives, vinyl tape and a jerry can had been bought on June 9th, the day before Mrs O’Connor’s remains were first found in Wicklow. Mr Johnston said he did not know why Mr Greene bought these items on June 9th and could not shed any light on it.
Gardaí asked Mr Johnston if this was the day before Mrs O’Connor’s body was cut up. “I didn’t put two and two together,” he replied.
‘Worse than useless’
The jury has heard that gardaí viewed CCTV footage of two men, who they believed to be Mr Greene and Mr Johnston, purchasing a number of items including 30 extra-strong black rubbish sacks, a tenon saw and two hacksaws in B&Q on June 9th, 2017.
Mr Johnston said Mr Greene had given him a lift on June 9th and Mr Greene had bought two axes in Woodies for the fire as they were going cheap.
Gardaí put it to Mr Johnston that it was him in the CCTV footage at Mr Price on June 9th carrying a petrol can and rope. They asked Mr Johnston what did he think it was for. “I didn’t buy it, don’t know, ask him. I didn’t ask him,” he replied.
Mr Johnston said he had not identified himself in the CCTV footage in the various DIY shops and it could be anyone.
Asked by gardaí why he and Mr Greene went on “a shopping spree”, Mr Johnston said it was to replace “lost or damaged tools and fishing”.
Gardaí asked Mr Johnston why had he not told them about the items purchased on June 9th. “I told you already where I was . . . I know for a fact I said B&Q and Woodies, f*** off, lying swines,” he replied.
Detectives told Mr Johnston that they had asked him specifically what he did on June 9th and he had not told them. “I f***ing did, I told these two coppers in Rathfarnham,” he said.
Mr Johnston was asked about Mrs O’Connor’s head, which had been found in a black plastic bag. Gardaí put it to him that those plastic bags had been bought in B&Q with Mr Greene. “Last time I saw them was when I was in the car,” he replied.
He denied he had been at the shallow grave in Wexford on June 9th, saying: “No way”. He said Mr Greene was “worse than useless” with a shovel.
“Did you have to go down to help Mr Greene?” asked gardaí. “What, dig her up, are you kidding. No. I told you everything I know. The answer is the answer and it’s not going to change. I’ve told you 20 times already,” he replied.
Set-up
Mr Johnston has pleaded not guilty to assisting Mr Greene in the purchase of various implements which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O’Connor.
Mr Johnston also denies engaging in the refurbishment of a bathroom at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the murder of Mrs O’Connor.
Mr Greene (34) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mrs O’Connor at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29th, 2017.
The deceased’s daughter Louise O’Connor (41) has pleaded not guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O’Connor disguising herself as Patricia O’Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29th, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that Patricia O’Connor was dead.
The deceased’s granddaughter Stephanie O’Connor (22) has pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as Mrs O’Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 at a point in time after her murder on May 29th, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that she was already dead.
Evidence has been given that Mr Greene walked into Rathfarnham Garda Station on June 12th, 2017 and told a detective that he had done “something terrible” and dismembered the body of Mrs O’Connor on his own.
However, the accused man told gardaí on December 9th that he had taken “the rap” and felt he was being set-up, as his girlfriend Louise O’Connor subsequently started going back out with her ex-boyfriend Mr Johnston.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women.