Man accused of murder of dad is either guilty or 'most unlucky person ever', court told

Prosecution barrister Bernard Condon SC delivered his closing speech this morning telling the jury that he is asking them to infer that Wayne Cooney is the man who fired eight bullets, three of which "catastrophically injured Jordan Davis".

Counsel said the "succession of coincidences and strange events that have collided in this case are such that either it is Wayne Cooney or he is the most unlucky person ever."

Mr Cooney (31), with an address at Glenshane Drive in Tallaght, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jordan Davis (22) at a lane-way beside Our Lady of Immaculate National School in Darndale in Dublin on May 22 2019.

He has also pleaded not guilty to possessing a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and to possessing ammunition in circumstances that give rise to the reasonable inference that he did not have them for lawful purposes.

It is the State's case that Mr Cooney knew a drug-dealer, referred to only as CD due to a court order, who threatened Mr Davis. CD had been involved in the "drugs business" with Jordan Davis, the jury heard, but they fell out.

After Mr Davis's death gardai looked at the deceased's phone and discovered messages from a phone associated with CD referring to a debt owed by Mr Davis of €70,000 and warning him: "I'm on your case mate, it won't be long" and telling him: "Soon, very soon, bang bang."

Mr Cooney denied to gardai that he was the person on a bicycle seen in the Darndale area in the days leading up to the shooting and denied that he was the person on a bicycle captured on CCTV cycling up behind and shooting Mr Davis.

The trial has heard that a pair of gloves found near the scene of the shooting contained firearms residue and the accused's DNA.

Mr Condon is continuing his speech this afternoon before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and the jury of seven men and four women.