Accused admits to assaulting dead man

A man accused of murdering a young deaf man today denied he intended to rob and murder the victim but admitted assaulting him and searching his pocket.

A man accused of murdering a young deaf man yesterday (Mon) denied he intended to rob and murder the victim but admitted assaulting him and searching his pocket.

When he took the stand in the Central Criminal Court, the accused, Michael Sage admitted that he "scavenged" the pockets of John Carroll as he lay dead or dying but said another man had struck the fatal blows.

The accused claimed that William 'Ning' Roche had ordered him to hand him "something to fucking hit" Mr Carroll with. The accused opened his car boot and Roche leaned in and took a ratchet, which he used to hit Mr Carroll around the head.

The court has heard that William Roche was earlier convicted of murdering John Carroll and that Deirdre Rose, now the accused's wife, was also charged with murder but acquitted.

Michael Sage (26) of Glenacre, Killaloe, Co Clare has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of John Carroll (22) of Cappamore, Co Limerick on 4th December 1998 at Garraun, Ballinhinch, Newport, Co Tipperary.

He has also pleaded guilty to a second charge of falsely imprisoning Mr Carroll on the same date.

Today, Michael Sage told the court that earlier on the night of the murder he "kneed" John Carroll in the chest after he refused to pay £30 to stay overnight in a friend's house, Anne Marie Fitzgerald.

He pushed him out of the house and walked him down the road. He said he aimed a punch at the

victim but missed and hit Roche's girlfriend, Bernadette Fitzgerald, who was caught in the middle. While he was apologising to her, he saw William Roche attacking Mr Carroll.

He told the jury that they brought him back to Anne Marie Fitzgerald's house where he lay on the couch. His breathing was erratic and he appeared to be seriously injured.

The accused said he intended driving Mr Carroll to Limerick Regional Hospital but on the way, William Roche started hitting him in the back of the car and demanding his PIN number and wallet.

He said he intended driving Mr Carroll up the mountains and "leaving him to find his own way back" but claimed William Roche was worried that he would go to the police.

Mr Sage said he turned off at the back roads towards Ballinahinch and stopped at an isolated laneway. "He [Roche] pulled John out and dropped him on the ground beside him and said 'give me something to fucking hit him with'".

The accused said he opened the car boot and William Roche "just leaned straight in and grabbed the ratchet".

Michael Sage told defence counsel Mr John Edwards SC that he was afraid of Roche. He said he and Roche jumped back into the car. Deirdre Rose - who was in the front passenger seat -asked if Mr Carroll was dead. "Ning said 'he's a dead man now, dead as a doornail'," the accused told the court.

Cross examined by Mr Eamonn Leahy SC prosecuting, Mr Sage denied that he was involved in a plan to murder John Carroll.

"I did not know what Ning was going to do," he said. "Who was the first person to strike Mr Carroll?" Mr Leahy asked. "I was. I meant him no harm I was trying to stop him getting back into the house."

Mr Leahy suggested that he drove Mr Carroll to an isolated spot with the intention of robbing and killing him. No, the accused replied.

He said he heard Roche striking Mr Carroll but did not look. "A dead human being and you rummaged through his pockets to scavenge what you can?" Mr Leahy enquired.

"I rummaged through his pockets because I was told to", he replied. "And the three of you got back into the car and drove away?" "Yeah. Ning said we better go to Limerick and get the alibi sorted out," he said.

Asked why he did not phone for assistance after he had parted company with William Roche, the accused replied: "I'd be dead if I did." The trial continues today tomorrow.