Man denies murdering neighbour with sweeping brush strike to neck

A man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with murdering a man with a sweeping brush.

Christopher McNamara, aged 21, of Good Shepherd Villas, Pennywell Rd, Limerick has pleaded not guilty to the murder of James Boyce at St Munchin’s St, St Mary’s Park, Limerick, on March 6/7, 2011.

Michael O’Higgins, prosecuting opened the trial for the jury today.

The accused is believed to have visited the deceased James Boyce, 71, on Sunday, March 6, 2011, and a second time after midnight.

It is the prosecution case that Mr McNamara murdered Mr Boyce by assaulting him with a sweeping brush in his own home. An autopsy found he had received several blows to the neck, where it is believed the fatal blow was delivered.

The court heard Mr Boyce, a former defence force member, kept a significant amount of cash in his bedroom.

The prosecutor said Mr McNamara stole a significant amount of cash from Mr Boyce. The jury was told that the accused had repeatedly assaulted Mr Boyce using the handle of a brush until he was dead.

A close friend and neighbour of Mr Boyce told the jury that she became worried when she noticed that his curtains had not been opened the following day.

Josephine Cora McNamara, of St Munchin’s Park, was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court.

“I lived next door to Jimmy for years and moved across the road when I got married,” said Ms McNamara.

“He lived with his mother and brother and looked after his brother after his mother died. Jimmy received meals on wheels from Monday to Friday but he didn’t collect his meal that Monday. I became worried when I saw the curtains were drawn in the sitting room, since that was the first thing he normally did in the morning.”

The jury was told CCTV footage proving Mr McNamara was present at Mr Boyce’s house will be presented in the coming days.

The trial, which continues before Mr Justice Gareth Sheehan and a jury of seven men and five women, is expected to last two weeks.