Bitter row led to man’s murder, court told

A BITTER falling out between next-door neighbours led to murder with an ornamental dagger in a quiet rural hamlet, the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Limerick heard yesterday.

Richard Higgins, aged 42, of No 1 New Houses, Lattin, Co Tipperary, pleaded not guilty to the murder of Seán Murphy, aged 29, who lived in No 2.

The alleged offence relates to January 17 last year.

He also denies threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Mr Murphy and his partner Paula Hassett on dates in October and December, 2009.

The state will claim, the court heard yesterday, that Mr Murphy died after he was stabbed once by Higgins, who had armed himself with an ornamental dagger.

Opening the case, Pauline Walley, prosecuting, said it was the state’s case that both men, their partners and children had settled in what she described as the small hamlet of Lattin.

Relations began to deteriorate some time in 2007 after Higgins’ partner, Emma Butler, went to her neighbours at No 2, complaining about their children.

Higgins then went to the house and threatened to kill or harm Mr Murphy and used a gun gesture with his hands and said: “Bang, bang, you are dead, Seán, and tell Paula she is dead too.”

There were further altercations in pubs in Tipperary town and, after one incident on St Stephen’s Day, 2009, Mr Murphy got a phone call during which Paula Hassett heard Higgins say he was going to burn the house down and to tell “the tramp Paula she was bang bang”.

Ms Walley said the state would further claim matters deteriorated when on Sunday, January 17, 2010, Mr Murphy went to Tipperary town to watch a match with his mates in a pub.

Ms Hassett picked him up at 8.40pm and their children were in the car.

As they drove towards the entrance to their estate, Higgins was standing at the door of a pub in the village and gave a two-finger sign.

Ms Walley said it was the state’s case that while in the pub that afternoon, Higgins talked about grievances he had with Mr Murphy and said he would like to see him sorted.

When Mr Murphy got to his house, Higgins followed them and shouted abuse saying: “Come on now, you c**t.”

While Ms Hassett tried to get her children into the house, Higgins, who had got an ornamental dagger from his house, followed Mr Murphy and stabbed him.

Mr Murphy received one wound to the left side of the chest from which he died.

Mr Murphy told Ms Hassett that Higgins had stabbed him and Ms Hassett, according to counsel, will tell the trial, Higgins was roaring: “I told you I would get you, you c**t.”

Ms Walley said, after being arrested, Higgins said he had stabbed Mr Murphy in self defence, claiming the deceased had picked up a plank and went towards him with it, shouting abuse. He told gardaí he did not mean to do it and was sorry.

Ms Walley said CCTV was taken from the pub in Lattin. It was put to Higgins that he was mouthing off about Mr Murphy while in the pub that afternoon, saying quite clearly what he would like to see done with him.

The trial, expected to last two weeks, continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.