Accused tells Edward Meenan murder trial he witnessed co-accused carry out the killing

The trial of two men charged with the murder of Edward Meenan in Derry over three years has heard how, in the course of police interviews, one of the accused, Ryan Walters, told police he had witnessed the assault on the dead man carried out by the other two accused.

Sean Rodgers (34), of no fixed abode in Derry and Ryan Walters (22) with an address in Crossgar in Co Down, are charged with the murder of the 52-year-old father-of-nine whose body was discovered in a laneway at the rear of Creggan Street in the early hours of November 25, 2018.

They are also charged with assaulting a Mr McConnell on the same date.

The court heard police carried out 12 interviews with Walters who denied, for most of the time, having anything to do with the murder.

However, in the course of the final interview a police officer told the accused he should start thinking about himself and the investigation 'was about a murder not an assault.'

The officer told Walters that his blood was found on his trainers and it was also pointed out that he had made a phone call to a woman, admitting to being involved in the murder.

Initially, Walters said the woman was mistaken and denied he had told her anything.

Then he told the interviewer 'I didn't touch him' but said it was Rodgers and Cresswell who did it.

Walters then told police how he had seen two men in balaclavas come to the back door of 20 Creggan Street.

He said the other two ran out with a baseball bat and began to beat 'the hell out of them.'

Walters said he had stood in the yard but did not take part.

The jury heard during the interview, Walters said one of the other two said 'let' s break his legs' and had began hitting Mr Meenan on the lower body.

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He told police that the whole incident lasted about half an hour.

Walters told police one of the men ran in and got a knife and stripped and stabbed Mr Meenan.

Walters told police 'I didn't think they wanted to kill him it just got out of hand.'

When pressed, Walters said he thought it was Rodgers who did the stabbing.

Walters told the interviewer that Mr Meenan's clothes were put in a plastic bag and later burned.

He said as they left the scene, one of the other two said 'if anyone rats they are getting the same treatment.'

A third accused, Derek Cresswell, is facing life imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Meenan.
The trial continues.