Doran O’Flynn and Breaslain had already been making their way towards the exit, but now they turned around, pushing aside the people who had been following behind them. They hurried along the aisle behind Barry Riordan’s bench, seized his arms and pulled him over the back of the bench on to the floor. Breaslain knelt down beside him and started to punch him, while Doran kicked him repeatedly in the ribs.

Barry shouted out and swore, and his two minders climbed over the bench and dragged Doran and Breaslain away from him. They started struggling and punching each other until one of the minders head-butted Doran, so that he dropped to his knees, stunned, and Breaslain managed to tear himself away and head for the exit, shouldering his way through the frightened and bewildered crowd who had come to see Donal Hagerty sentenced.

The two gardaí and the bailiff managed to struggle their way to the back of the court. Barry Riordan had now been helped up on to his feet by his minders, and the bailiff gave Doran a hand to stand up. Katie and Detective Inspector Mulliken approached them, and one of the gardaí said, ‘Arrest them for affray, ma’am? Or violent disorder at least. You can’t say we don’t have enough witnesses.’

As he brushed down his sleeves, Barry Riordan stared at Katie hard and unblinking, as if he were silently daring her to charge him. Katie took Detective Inspector Mulliken aside and said quietly, ‘I’m going to let them go. If we start foostering around with a minor charge like affray it’s only going to complicate our investigation into what we really want him for. Besides, I want him to be relaxed and off his guard and thinking he’s got one up on us.’

‘You’re not even going to give these fellers a caution?’

Katie shook her head. ‘We’re so close now to a possible indictment for conspiracy to multiple murders. I’ll be questioning Feargal Grífin later today with any luck. We don’t need to be faffing around with paperwork for a bit of a tussle in a public place. Riordan’s lawyer will only say that he was distressed when he heard Donal Hagerty’s sentence. After all, it was his brother and his sister-in-law and his niece and nephew that Hagerty shot dead. Quite honestly, I think I’d be off my head myself if any of my little nieces and nephews were murdered.’

Detective Inspector Mulliken nodded. ‘Okay, ma’am. I have you.’

With that, he went over and spoke to the gardaí, and then to Barry Riordan and his minders and Doran O’Flynn. Katie stayed where she was, saying nothing. The courtroom was empty now, apart from them. After a brief conversation, Barry Riordan turned to Katie, smiled, and gave her a mocking salute.

*