Trial told Facebook post said ‘I beat him to death’
William Moran, aged 20, of Connolly Place, Waterford City, is charged with murdering Martin Brophy, aged, 22, at the old Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) building between May 19 and May 21, 2012.
Mr Moran has pleaded not guilty to the charge and is currently on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.
Taking to the stand yesterday, Stephen Dundon told Michael Delaney SC, prosecuting, he knew the accused in 2012.
Mr Delaney asked if he had a Facebook account in 2012 and if he chatted with anyone on May 20, 2012.
“I did — [chat] with a few people. I can’t remember everybody — William Patrick Moran, the accused.”
When asked if he recalled what the conversation was about Mr Dundon replied “about playing Playstation, about going out and the assault”.
When asked what was said he replied “that he hit him with a block”.
Mr Delaney asked where this had happened, to which Mr Dundon replied “the drinking spot — the old warehouse”.
The court heard that, on May 20, 2012, a message sent from the Facebook page of William Moran to Stephen Dundon said: “I gave that fella an old bad one. Serious he got it haha.”
When asked “why” on Facebook, the reply from William Moran’s Facebook page was “Got too cheeky —way too cheeky. He said he was gonna slit me cousins throat. And kept saying he was gonna bate me — i think he’s dead no word of a lie.”
Mr Dundon confirmed he had asked “watcha do to him” to which the account of William Moran had replied: “Wouldn’t say a thing like that on this. The guards can get into people page — lads tell me worse stuff than this.
“He was in there on his own drinking. He’s some foll fool.”
“I beat him to death a cinder block around 10 times off the head and gave him the American History X job.”
Under cross-examination by Colman Cody SC, defending, Stephen Dundon confirmed that his Facebook account had previously been hacked.
The trial continues.
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