Diarmuid Phelan told gardaí he was terrified when three men ‘exploded’ out of bushes on his land

A law professor who denies murdering an unarmed trespasser in a fatal shooting at his farm told gardaí he was terrified when three men “exploded” out of bushes on his land “screaming and roaring” and began “effectively threatening” him about who had shot their dog.

In his interviews with gardaí, leading barrister Diarmuid Phelan told detectives that he had shouted at the men to stay back, but they “kept coming” and he believed they were “coming to fulfil the threats they had made”.

Earlier, the court heard that when Mr Phelan was arrested and placed in a patrol car, he asked gardaí whether he could wash his hands and if the injured man was a Traveller.

The trial has already heard that the accused had taken powder from a First Aid bag and put it on the back of the deceased’s head in an attempt to stop the bleeding, while none of the three trespassers were members of the Travelling Community.

Mr Phelan (56) has pleaded not guilty to murdering father-of-four Keith Conlon (36) at…

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