Accused told gardaí he ‘pushed and kicked’ deceased

A murder trial has heard that a Waterford man accused of murdering Martin Brophy told gardaí in interview that he “pushed and kicked” the deceased.

William Moran, aged 20, of Connolly Place, Waterford City, is charged with murdering Martin Brophy, aged 22, at the old Waterford Institute of Technology 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, Detective Sergeant Donal Donoghue confirmed with Michael Delaney, prosecuting, that, in a voluntary statement made on May 29, 2012, the accused admitted kicking Mr Brophy in the head.

Det Sgt Donoghue put it to the accused in a garda interview on July 2, 2012, that “you admitted kicking Martin Brophy in the head 10 times”, to which Mr Moran replied: “I remember”.

The court heard that in garda interview, the accused stated he had lost his phone on the night of May 19, 2012. When asked if the sim card and phone were together when he lost it, Mr Moran replied “no”.

The question “would you agree, by kicking Martin Brophy 10 times, it contributed to his death” was put to the accused during garda interview in July 2012, to which he replied, “he was still alive when I left”.

When asked in interview if he knew Stephen Dundon, the accused said he did and that the last time he spoke to him was on Facebook after the incident.

The jury heard that gardaí put it to Mr Moran that his Facebook contact with Mr Dundon, in which he mentioned beating a person to death, had occurred the day after the death of Mr Brophy and the day before he was found.

The accused replied during garda interview that “Gavin Walsh went around telling everyone — that’s how it got around the streets”.

In interview, gardaí put it to the accused that “you made a voluntary statement you hit and kicked Martin Brophy at least 10 times”, to which he replied: “I pushed and kicked him”.

When asked in interview about saying he had kicked the deceased in the face, Mr Moran replied: “I didn’t murder him.”

Under cross-examination by Colman Cody, defending, Det Sgt Donoghue confirmed that he was the person in charge of the overall preservation of the scene.

Mr Cody confirmed that the preservation of the scene had commenced sometime after 6pm on May 21, 2012, and that it was apparent the scene had not been preserved from May 19.

He concluded by saying that there was evidence of people entering the scene later on May 19 and 20.

The trial continues.