Waterford man pleads not guilty to murder of man who spoke about Vladimir Putin

A barman has told a murder trial that on the night of the killing he had discussions about Vladimir Putin with the deceased, whom the witness said had views on the Russian President and the war in Ukraine. 

The Central Criminal Court jury have been told they will hear evidence that when a garda cautioned the accused Maurice Boland (36), he replied, "I don't know man, he went to hit me and I came back. He was onto me about the Russians." 

Mr Boland, of Bridgeview Close, Tallow, Co Waterford has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Cian Gallagher (26) at Barrack Street in Tallow on November 10, 2022. 

The jury has heard that the deceased man was from the Malahide Road in Dublin 17 and worked in a managerial type role mainly on civil construction projects up to the time of his death. 

In her opening speech to the jury, Roisin Lacey SC, prosecuting, said Mr Boland was heard boasting on the night of the killing that he had knocked Mr Gallagher out and compared himself to UFC fighter Conor McGregor. 

The 12 jurors were also told by the State in the opening address that Mr Gallagher, who was working on a construction project in Co Waterford, died from a brain bleed eight days after he was punched and knocked to the ground by the accused man in the early hours of November 2. 

The defendant later described the altercation to gardai as a "pure accident". 

The proprietor of 'Luke McCarthy's' pub in Tallow, Ann O'Brien, told Roisin Lacey SC, prosecuting, that Cian Gallagher came into her pub around 7pm on November 1 and had served him a pint of Guinness. She said he was on his phone and described him as a nice person. 

Under cross-examination by Mr Bowman, the previous witness's son, David O'Brien, said Mr Gallagher was a 'small bit merry' when he left the pub that night and may have had up to eight pints. 

Mr Bowman suggested to the witness that the deceased had drank 13 pints of Guinness that night but Mr O'Brien said he wouldn't have thought Mr Gallagher had drank as many. 

He told counsel that the deceased didn't look like he was about to get sick when he left the premises and wasn't unsteady on his feet. 

The witness agreed with defence counsel that he had discussions with Mr Gallagher about the President of Russia Vladimir Putin and Russian politics. He also agreed that the deceased had shown him a video on his phone about the now deceased Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. 

Mr O'Brien further agreed that the deceased had views in relation to Putin and the war in Ukraine. 

Also giving evidence today, Maggie O'Leary told Ms Lacey that she was working in the Red House Inn in Lismore in Co Waterford on November 1 when the accused, who was wearing a red jumper and denim jeans, came in around 8pm. 

Mr Boland had told the barmaid his name was 'Mossy' and that he was living in Tallow with his girlfriend and children. 

She said the accused was very chatty and kept wanting to talk to customers. 

The witness said she served 'Mossy' around four pints of Heineken but that he hadn't finished any of them. She also served him a double vodka and Red Bull. 

She said the accused had gone into the bathroom at one stage and when she later checked she saw he had gotten sick. 

Ms O'Leary said she told the accused that the last bus to Tallow wasn't until midnight and there were no taxis around. 

Ms O'Leary later heard banging on the front door of the pub and when she checked out the window she saw the accused standing there. The witness said he was holding himself up against the wall. She said she ignored him and he left. 

Under cross-examination, the witness agreed with Mr Bowman that the accused was highly intoxicated or drunk and had arrived into the pub in that condition. 

Adam Daly, who was in the Red House Inn on the night, testified that the accused seemed intoxicated and was slurring his words. 

The next witness, Craig Tobin, who was working in 'The Classroom Bar' in Lismore on November 1, said the accused came into the pub around 5pm and that he had served him three pints of Heineken. He said Mr Boland came back into the pub around 10.30pm that night. 

William O'Driscoll told Ms Lacey that he took the 'Local Link' bus from Dungarvan to Tallow at 11.30pm on November 1. He said a man in a red jacket got onto the bus in Lismore and they had both gotten off at Tallow. 

Mr O'Driscoll said the man seemed very drunk and started to ask him questions such as whether he had been drinking in Dungarvan and did he smoke. 

The witness agreed under cross-examination that the man had been walking from side to side down the street. 

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.