The trial of an 18-year-old accused of murdering a 50-year-old Dublin man has heard the victim befriended a large group of teenagers and let them take drugs in his home.
Aidan O’Kane was shot dead after an altercation with teenagers who had thrown eggs at his home in December 2008.
Conor Duffy, of St Mary's Road, East Wall, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Aidan O'Kane when he was 16 years old.
The prosecution claims he shot the father-of-one in a lane way off Shelmalier Road in East Wall.
Mr O’Kane's son Dylan told he court his father was harassed for months before his death.
He said his father had tried to use diplomacy to sort out problems with local youths before he confronted them in December 2008.
On the night, after he had been taunted by youths, Aidan O’Kane armed himself with a baton, dressed in a leather jacket and gloves, covered his face and went out to find the youths.
Dylan O’Kane denied that he was going out to help his father ‘get’ one of the youths. He said he was going out to make sure his father was not beaten after trying to convince him not to go after the youths.
He agreed that one of the youths shouted that his father had a gun and some may have had the impression he was armed. However he said his father was not trying to give the impression he had a gun.
Asked why his father would have said ‘I’ll blast you’, Dylan said it may have been just a threat but also that his father was repeating what was being said to him by the youths.
He admitted that after the shooting he told a local youth to get rid of the baton his father was carrying that night. He said he panicked and thought his father would get into trouble.
Dylan O’Kane said he knew his father had befriended a large number of teenagers and allowed them into his house and that they took drugs.
However, he only found out later there were complaints from gardaí about this.
Conor Duffy has also pleaded not guilty to three other counts, including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition and having a firearm without a licence all on the same date.
The case is expected to last two weeks before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.
