This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7431967.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
McCartney trial told of evil look McCartney friend appears in dock
(about 6 hours later)
The best friend of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney has told a court he will "never forget" the expression on his alleged killer's face. A key witness in the Robert McCartney murder trial has denied changing his story to match evidence expected to be given by another witness.
Brendan Devine said he saw Terence Davison "gouging" at Mr McCartney's face "in a really evil way". Brendan Devine, a close friend of Mr McCartney, was also stabbed on the night he was killed in January 2005.
Mr Davison, 51, denies killing Mr McCartney in January 2005. He rejected a defence QC's suggestion he was changing his account of where he saw an alleged gouging incident.
Mr Devine said a row broke out in a pub after Mr Davison's wife mistakenly thought a rude gesture which Mr McCartney had made was directed at her. The QC questioned why in his initial statement he had not mentioned Terence Davison, 51, who denies murder.
Mr Devine said it may have been because he was afraid as he believed IRA members were involved.
'Evil way'
He told Belfast Crown Court he saw Mr Davison "gouging" at Mr McCartney's face "in a really evil way".
He said he would "never forget" the expression on his alleged killer's face.
The defence barrister suggested Mr Devine was changing his account of where he saw the alleged gouging incident to "dovetail in with the evidence that you anticipate witness C will say".
Mr Devine replied: "All I can do is tell it the way I remember it and the way I seen it."
Mr Davison is also accused of affray as are James McCormick, 39, and Joseph Gerard Emmanuel Fitzpatrick, 47.Mr Davison is also accused of affray as are James McCormick, 39, and Joseph Gerard Emmanuel Fitzpatrick, 47.
All I can remember was turning around and seeing someone grinning in an evil way Brendan DevineProsecution witness Mr Fitzpatrick is further charged with an assault on another of Mr Cartney's friends. Mr Fitzpatrick is further charged with an assault on another of Mr McCartney's friends.
Bottle Rude gesture
Mr Devine told Belfast Crown Court that after the argument broke out, he had tried to calm the situation down and offered to buy drinks for the ladies but the next thing he knew, he was hit over the head with a bottle. The prosecution witness said a row had broken out in a pub after Mr Davison's wife mistakenly thought a rude gesture made by Mr McCartney was directed at her.
The prosecution witness said his throat had been cut three times and showed the court scarring on his neck. Mr Devine said he had tried to calm the situation down and offered to buy drinks for the women but the next thing he knew, he was struck on the head with a bottle.
He said his throat had been cut three times and showed the court scarring on his neck.
Mr Devine said he went outside with Mr McCartney and two other men but were followed by a gang of up to six men and chased into nearby Market Street.Mr Devine said he went outside with Mr McCartney and two other men but were followed by a gang of up to six men and chased into nearby Market Street.
"All I can remember was turning around and seeing someone grinning in an evil way", he said."All I can remember was turning around and seeing someone grinning in an evil way", he said.
He told the court that he later identified his attacker from a police line-up as Mr McCormick.He told the court that he later identified his attacker from a police line-up as Mr McCormick.
'Nobody deserves this''Nobody deserves this'
As he fled the scene, Mr Devine told the court he looked back and saw Mr McCartney standing with his hands up shouting, "nobody deserves this". As he fled the scene, Mr Devine told the court he looked back and saw Mr McCartney standing with his hands up and shouting, "nobody deserves this".
He said the man attacking his friend was an "older man" who had appeared "more respectable" in the bar and had demanded an apology for the gesture.He said the man attacking his friend was an "older man" who had appeared "more respectable" in the bar and had demanded an apology for the gesture.
Mr Devine said that during the police line-up, he had identified Mr Davison as "the older man".Mr Devine said that during the police line-up, he had identified Mr Davison as "the older man".
He said as he walked rapidly up Market Street while clutching his throat, he feared the gang was going to attack him again. Under cross-examination, the witness conceded that he told police that Mr Davison was not part of the group which came from the bar or the group who chased himself and Mr McCartney.
He said after he reached his injured friend he was "wracked with pain" and told him, "I'm in trouble here, I've been stabbed". "I had police security around me with guns, and people saying to me I was going down a hole - in my mind I had to be careful what I said because of the nature of these people and where they came from," he said.
He claimed that Mr McCartney's final words to him were: "Our Gerard needs me and I'm not going to make it". "If I didn't say anything crystal clear, it was because at that time I was afraid."
He also agreed that although he has claimed he saw Mr Davison gouging at his friend, there was no weapon in his hands at the time.
The trial continues.The trial continues.