Trainer Pete Taylor ran towards a gunman who fired into Bray Boxing Club to protect members of his fitness class, a court has heard.
Ian Britton, who was shot in the hip area during the exercise class organised by the coach, was giving evidence yesterday in the trial of a man accused of murder and two counts of attempted murder.
The court also heard from another witness, who said the gunman looked like he didnt know what he was doing when he fired shots into the boxing club where Bobby Messett was murdered.
Eddie McCann, who was giving evidence for a second day at the Central Criminal Court, described the shooter as slender and not very tall.
He said: He was a man, a young lad he hadnt filled out yet. Thats the description I gave [to gardai].
Gerard Cervi leaving the Four Courts (Image: Collins Courts)
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Gerard Cervi, 34, from the East Wall area in Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Messett at Bray Boxing Club on June 5, 2018.
He also denies the attempted murder of boxing coach Mr Taylor and Mr Britton on the same occasion.
Mr Britton told prosecuting counsel Paul Murray yesterday he was taking part in the fitness class with his two brothers Matt and Craig.
When the session was about to start, he said he saw a figure at the door in a yellow high-vis jacket and a hard hat.
He added the man had a gun in his hand and moved it towards Mr Messett.
Bobby Messett (Image: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin)
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Mr Britton told how he grabbed his brother Matt but didnt get 100% down on the ground as he was stuck behind a bench.
He said he then felt a fierce pain in his hip area and all down his right side.
Mr Britton added Mr Taylor had ran towards the shooter to protect the people in the gym and then the shots went off. He said he was on the ground and was looking back to see what the shooter was doing.
He added he didnt see the gunman leave the gym and had ran into Mr Taylors office.
Mr Britton said: I had to step over Bobby and Pete was on the ground, lying flat out.
Mr McCann, who was also taking part in the fitness class, told the jury he saw Mr Britton slouched over and sitting on a wall outside the gym after he was shot.
The witness said he got brother Craig to elevate Mr Brittons leg and he [Mr McCann] applied pressure on it with a towel.
Mr McCann testified yesterday that Mr Messett went up and came down as he was shot.
He said: I knew right away he was dead and I could see he was sliding down and could see the blood.
The witness added he informed a doctor who arrived on the scene that he was a firefighter.
He said he told the medic he would look after Mr Britton so he could go into the gym. Mr McCann added there was blood on his head, that his own heart rate was up and he had got chest pains on the way to St Vincents Hospital.
Referring to the weapon which the shooter was pointing in the doorway of the gym, Mr McCann said it was tapered and small and the ridge along the barrel was fixed in my mind.
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When he arrived at the hospital, the witness said a nurse got quite nervous when she examined his head and asked for armed gardai to come as they were afraid something might happen.
Mr McCann said he called the fire brigade and told them he would not be on that day.
He added: Because of what happened I never went back to the fire brigade.
The witness said the shooter had been standing in the frame of the door into the gym when he first saw him and it looked like he was scanning the room.
He added the gunman took one step into the gym, focused on Mr Messett, stopped and leant back. Mr McCann said: I saw the muzzle and the blood.
He added he thought the gunman was wearing an RSA high-vis jacket as he remembered a red mark or square on the back of it.
Mr McCann said he was terrified when the shots were fired, that the noise was horrendous and he saw the muzzle flash.
He added: It was so surreal what happened, automatically I hit the floor. When he shot Bobby there was a pause and then bang, bang, bang, bang, bang.
Describing the gunman to the jury, Mr McCann said he was a slender man, not very tall and around 5ft 8ins or 5ft 9ins.
He agreed he had told gardai in his statement that he was small, skinny, and seemed very slight.
Mr McCann said he could see the mans mouth around the balaclava so he knew he was white Caucasian.
