The trial of a Gort man involved in a 21-hour siege with Gardaí in 2006 has heard he fired a shot in the direction of his partner as she fled their home.
Margaret Corless told the trial of Anthony Burke, of Crowe Street, Gort, that he would never harm their children, though he fired a shot hitting the wall over her head on the night in question.
42 year old Anthony Burke has denied he intended to endanger life in the stand-off at his home, but has admitted he intended to damage property.
Anthony Burke’s partner Margaret Corless was with him in three pubs in Gort on Sunday October 8th where he consumed up to 12 pints. An argument started when they arrived home after which she saw him carrying a gun.
She took the shotgun off him but he went upstairs and got another gun, telling her and the children – aged between 5 months and fourteen years – to get out of the house – as she went out the front door he fired a shot after her knocking plaster off the wall over her head.
Anthony Burke fired several shots inside the house and out the upstairs windows between 42 and 60 rounds according to Gardaí.
The 42 year old was still armed when he walked out of his home at 67 Crowe Street Gort around 8.30p.m on Monday October 9th and was shot in the shoulder by armed Gardaí.
His barrister has apologised for the trauma caused, saying Anthony Burke had turned into a lunatic, following heavy drinking after the death of his father, and had also lost his job – but the accused denies he intended to endanger life or that he held his guns under suspicious circumstances.
