COURT TOLD OF FATAL ASSAULT ON DRUG ADDICT

A drug-addict who was infected with HIV screamed for mercy as he was
kicked and punched to death by a large group of anti-drug vigilantes,
it was alleged at a manslaughter trial yesterday.

Mr Alan Byrne, a friend of the drug-addict, Josie Dwyer, told Dublin
Circuit Criminal Court that after the attack by about 15 vigilantes,
Mr Dwyer was "in bits" and looked like "something from a horror movie".

He said that while he and Mr Dwyer were being kicked, slapped and
beaten with batons by the gang, another group of men stood at the top
of the street, stopping people from helping them.

Mr Byrne said that he had been "screaming like a pig" while he begged
the men to stop beating him. "There wasn't an inch of my body that
wasn't kicked or punched," he said.

After some time, Mr Dwyer stopped screaming, and when Mr Byrne shouted
over to him, there was no reply. Eventually, one of the attackers said
that someone was coming and they fled.

One of the gang lifted up Mr Dwyer's body and spat in his face before
running down Basin Lane, a street in Dublin's south inner city near
the Guinness brewery.

Mr Byrne was helped to his feet by a couple from the Basin Lane area
and tried to assist Mr Dwyer, who was breathing very poorly. He tried
to help Mr Dwyer to get up, but he collapsed.

Both men were taken by ambulance to St James's Hospital and Mr Dwyer
was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

Mr Hugh Byrne (33), Dolphin House; Mr Mark Cooke (25), Dolphin House;
Mr John Fitzpatrick (35), Fatima Mansions, and Mr William Kenny (55),
St Anthony's Road, all Rialto, deny the manslaughter of Mr Dwyer on
May 14th, 1996. They have also pleaded not guilty to assault causing
actual bodily harm to Mr Byrne and of violent disorder on the same
date.

Yesterday was the second day of the trial.

Mr Byrne said he was staying in Mr Dwyer's flat in Basin Lane at the
time of the attack. They had taken heroin together earlier in the
evening and had gone out to get some cigarettes from a shop in
Dolphin's Barn.

As they reached the centre of Dolphin's Barn, a large group of men
crossed the road and blocked them between a shop wall and a bus
shelter. One of group stepped forward and told the pair to "get out of
the f...kin' Barn".

Mr Byrne said he was thrown against a shop front and was kicked and
punched by about five or six of the men. They both moved away, but Mr
Dwyer could not move quickly because of his illness. They were
followed by the group as they walked back through Fatima Mansions.

Two cars pulled up and a man known as Ronald Byrne, who was known to
the witness as "the head of the vigilantes in the area", got out.
Ronald Byrne punched the witness in the face and he fell on his back.
He then heard Ronald Byrne shouting "get him" and a large group of men
began punching and kicking him. He was pulled to his feet by Mr Dywer
and they fled as quickly as Mr Dwyer could walk.

The vigilantes followed them to Basin Lane and about 15 of them ran
ahead and blocked their path. Some of the men were armed with batons
which might have been snooker cues or pick-axe handles.

As the pair approached the group Mr Byrne turned around to see what
was happening and was struck from behind. Mr Dwyer was also struck and
fell on the road beside him.

Mr Byrne identified Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Kenny in court as two of the
men involved in the earlier attack at Dolphin's Barn, but said he did
not see them in Basin Lane.

The trial continues.