Accused ‘didn’t reach’ baseball bat victim

A Hungarian national accused of murdering a young Kildare man told gardaí it looked liked he swung his baseball bat at the deceased, but he “didn’t reach him”, a jury has heard.

Zoltan Almasi, aged 44, of Harbour View, Naas, is charged with murdering Joseph Dunne at the same address on May 16, 2014.

Last week at the Central Criminal Court, Mr Almasi pleaded not guilty to murder. Yesterday, Orla Crowe, prosecuting, called Det Sgt Darragh Diffley from Naas Garda Station to give evidence.

an interview, Mr Almasi told gardaí

he was “about two-three metres from” the deceased when he fell and denied hitting him as the distance was “too far.”

“It wasn’t my intention to hit anyone. I didn’t hit him. The death of a young person is a tragedy but I didn’t kill him,” Mr Almasi said. When gardaí put it to him that Mr Dunne fell because he had hit him with his baseball bat, Mr Almasi replied: “No.”

When Mr Almasi was later asked if he swung the bat at Mr Dunne he replied: “I don’t remember. I don’t know, it looks like I did but I didn’t. It looks like its me but I didn’t reach him.”

When gardaí asked Mr Almasi if it was possible “the very tip of the baseball bat hit” Mr Dunne, the accused replied: “I don’t know, I didn’t feel me hitting him.”

“Definitely it wasn’t deliberately. Most likely it was an accident. I didn’t realise I reached him or hit him.”

In another interview, he was asked if he accepted his bat hit Mr Dunne. He replied: “I can’t accept something I can’t remember doing. Things happened very fast, I was angry.” It wasn’t my intention to hit anyone. Most likely it was accident. I don’t remember hitting him.”