Man accused of 1997 double murder warned a garda who approached him to stay away or he would kill her, jury hears

Mark Nash (42) pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of two women, Sylvia Shields and Mary Callanan, who died between 6 and 7 March 1997. The victims were residing in sheltered accommodation at a house attached to St Brendan's Psychiatric Hospital in Grangegorman. On 27 January 2015, three gardaí from Mill Street Station in Galway gave evidence about encountering Nash on the Tuam Road in Galway on 16 August 1997. Garda Caroline McKenna testified that when she approached Nash, he identified himself and warned her to stay away or he would kill her, then produced a hammer from his pocket. The court heard Nash subsequently threw a bicycle aside and fled. During his escape, he was struck by a van, used the hammer to damage the vehicle's window, and attempted to enter a nearby house before being restrained. Nash was arrested at 7.45pm that evening. The trial, which is expected to last six to eight weeks, was adjourned pending legal submissions.