Edward Meenan murder trial hears from ‘lifelong friend’

Sean Rodgers (34), of no fixed abode in Derry, and Ryan Walters (22), with an address in Crossgar, are on trial charged with the murder of the father of nine on November 25, 2018.

They are also charged with assaulting another man on the same date.

A third man pleaded guilty to the murder charge last week.

At Monday’s hearing, William McConnell, who was injured in the incident, gave details of accompanying Mr Meenan to the house of Sinead White where the attack took place.

He told the court that, on the night in question, himself and the deceased - who, he said, were “lifelong friends” - had been drinking and had smoked some cannabis.

Mr McConnell said Edward Meenan had been concerned about Sinead White who was a relative and they decided to ‘scare’ her.

The witness told the trial that both men had made masks from a jumper and wore gloves before going to 20 Creggan Street.

Mr McConnell said he thought the idea of going to the house was ‘madness’ but he went along.

He said they entered the backyard through the back gate and, as they approached the back door, ‘we were attacked by people.’

The witness said he was “hit three or four times on the head with objects”, adding that his attackers numbered ‘more than two.’

The court heard that Mr McConnell saw Edward Meenan ‘getting pushed over’ and shouted at his attackers to ‘gone stop it, would you.’

He said the attack did stop and that he was out the gate by this stage and ‘bleeding badly’.

Mr McConnell said he then shouted, ‘Eddie, run’, before he ran back to Edward Meenan’s mother’s house before making his way back to his own flat where he called an ambulance.

He said he did not go to the police because he was ‘terrified’.

The court was told that, the next day, Edward Meenan’s brother phoned Mr McConnell to say a body had been found in Creggan Street and he assumed it was either Edward Meenan or someone else.

Under cross examination by Brian McCartney QC, counsel for Rodgers, the witness said he could not recall describing Sinead White to police as ‘evil and nasty’.

He denied they had gone to her house ‘to cause a bit of damage’ and rejected a suggestion that this had been ‘a determined and planned attack.’

The trial continues.