Edward Meenan murder trial: Defendant denies being "involved from start to finish"

Ryan Walters, one of the men charged with the murder of Edward Meenan, has denied a suggestion that he was "involved from start to finish" in the attack.

Walters (22) with an address in Crossgar and Sean Rodgers (34) of no fixed abode are charged with Edward Meenan's murder on November 25, 2018.

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

A third man Derek Creswell (29) of King's Lane in Ballykelly has already pleaded guilty.

Walters was being cross examined by Liam McCollum QC for the prosecution who put it to the defendant that he had lied throughout 12 interviews then when forensics link him to the scene he 'immediately blamed Rodgers and Creswell.'

It was suggested that he had a choice of "either blame the other two or take the rap".

Walters replied: "I didn't take the rap because I didn't do it."

It was put to Walters that he had not expected there to blood on his shoes as he believed they had been "wiped or cleaned" and he denied this.

Mr McCollum said to Walters that it was "inexplicable" how blood could be found on his shoes if he had been standing where he claimed he had been.

The prosecution said that Walters had lied throughout his interviews and the defendant agreed he had been lying then.

It was suggested that "not only did you throw Rodgers and Cresswell under the bus you continued to lie" and Walters agreed he had lied during his interviews.

A series of calls and texts to a former girlfriend was put to Walters in which he claimed he had killed a man.

The defendant told police during his interviews that he had said it "to act the big man" but in court he said he could not remember the calls.

He was asked why would someone claim to have killed someone if they hadn't and Walters answered "don't know".

Mr McCollum suggested that Walters had told police the woman had lied because he had "ditched her" and this had shown 'the lengths you would go to save your own skin.'

The prosecution said these phone calls were "a real problem" for Walters as they placed him at the scene and in the company of the other two.

It was suggested that Walters far from being afraid of anyone was prepared to blame everyone else 'and the only skin you were trying to save was your own.'

During his interviews Walters was asked why he had not sought help and he told police, "I didn't want to squeal on the others as Sean is scary" and Mr McCollum said this was the first time the defendant had mentioned being afraid.

At the end of his cross examination Mr McCollum suggested that Walters was "up to his neck" in the murder and this was denied.

The trial continues.