Murder trial told of scratches on accused after murder

A trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard how an accused man had fresh scratches up to five inches long on his side, a day after the murder and rape of a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Co Galway.

The 26-year-old Co Galway man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the schoolgirl and two counts of rape on the same occasion, in the early hours of December 6th 1998.