Man attacked with ‘part of a concrete block’

The trial has opened of a man charged with the murder of Martin Brophy, who died from severe head injuries, including kicks to the head and blows from part of a concrete block, in Waterford nearly three years ago.

William Moran, aged 20, of Connolly Place, Waterford City, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Brophy at the old Waterford Institute of Technology building between May 19 and May 21, 2012.

The court has heard Mr Moran allegedly told a friend on Facebook how he “beat” Martin Brophy “to death with a lock, and gave him the American History X job”.

Michael Delaney, prosecuting, told the jury Mr Brophy “was not on good terms with a man by the name of Ray Connelly. Ray lived seven doors up from Martin Brophy and was the first cousin of the accused man, William Moran.”

The court heard how the derelict two-storey building was popular as a drinking location for youths in summer 2012. The body of Mr Brophy was found by two secondary school students.

Mr Brophy had severe head injuries and there was a large pool of blood around his head, the court heard.

The former deputy State pathologist, Dr Khalid Jaber, viewed the body at the location and found “numerous injuries to the body but mainly to the head”.

In Dr Jaber’s opinion, there was “forced trauma to the head” which “could have been caused by kicking, stomping, stamping, or use of a concrete brick”, the court was told.

Investigating what was a suspicious death according to gardaí, potential witnesses were identified, including Mr Moran and a man by the name of Gavin Walsh.

Mr Delaney said the two men were captured by CCTV footage in the company of two females who had entered the old WIT building at 6pm on May 19, 2012.

The women were seen leaving at 9.50pm, the court heard, but on the footage captured from the front of the building, there was no sign of the males leaving. “What is to be inferred by this is at some time they left through the rear,” Mr Delaney told the court.

On May 22, the day after Mr Brophy’s body was found, statements were taken from Mr Moran and Mr Walsh. “At this time neither of the men were regarded as suspects, they provided a witness statement,” Mr Delaney said, adding that Mr Moran had said he was in the warehouse between 3pm and 5.30pm on May 19.

There was about 30 people there but “nothing happened”, he had said.

“An argument developed between William Moran and Martin Brophy over Ray Connelly, the first cousin of the accused. William Moran rang Ray Connelly and put his phone on loud speaker. An argument developed between Martin Brophy and Ray Connelly,” Mr Delaney said, outlining the statement given by Gavin Walsh.

“He then took his phone off loud speaker and Mr Moran was heard to say, ‘I will do him for you Ray’.”

The trial continues.