Victim's mother saw accused twist knife, court hears

The mother of a man who was stabbed to death in front of her told a murder trial she saw his assailant twist the knife in her son's side.

Mrs Mary McCarthy was giving evidence on the second day of the trial of Mr Keith O'Donovan (aged 29) of Spriggs Road, Gurranbraher, Cork and Mr James Hourigan (aged 32) of Harbour View Road, Knocknaheeny, Cork.

Both accused have denied the murder of Mr Noel McCarthy (aged 28) on May 4, 2000 at his home at Spriggs Road, Gurranabraher, Cork.

The prosecution alleges that both accused acted in common design to murder Mr McCarthy, who bled to death from a stab wound to the groin.

In the Central Criminal Court yesterday (Tues), the witness told prosecuting counsel Mr John Edwards SC that on the night of the murder she was in bed when she heard a loud bang outside the house.

Noel McCarthy was downstairs with friends watching TV and drinking a few cans of cider.

Later she heard a commotion and when she looked out the bedroom window she saw three men, one of whom was Noel McCarthy. His head was being beaten off the kerb.

She thought the third man was trying to stop the fight but when she got down to the footpath she realised he was helping the attacker, she told the jury.

"I recognised Keith O’Donovan but I had never seen the other boy [James Hourigan] previously," Mrs McCarthy said.

The witness said that Noel McCarthy went to the O’Donovan house, five doors away, and when he returned minutes later, he had cuts to his face and head and 'he was very shaken'.

He was taken to hospital for treatment and shortly after he returned home there was another loud bang on the door.

The witness claimed when she and her son went to open it, Keith O’Donovan pushed it so hard he pushed her back towards the front room.

He was with another man, who she claimed, was James Hourigan.

"My son Noel said 'what did I ever do to you?'" Mrs McCarthy said, adding that Mr O’Donovan called the victim 'a cockroach'.

The witness said: "His [Mr O’Donovan’s] face was distorted; he was grunting and I saw this thing going into my son’s side."

"He kept pushing to get it in as far as he could and I saw him twist the knife."

Mrs McCarthy told the jury that she grabbed the knife but Mr O’Donovan ordered her to 'let the knife go and I’ll go'.

The witness claimed that Mr Hourigan had a hacksaw in his hand and he had a 'menacing look in his eyes. I froze, I froze'.

Asked by Mr Edwards what condition her son was in at this stage, she replied: 'Dead, I imagine'.

He was slumped on the floor with blood gushing from a wound to the side.

"I said to Keith O’Donovan 'you killed my son'."

Under cross examination, Mr John Creed SC for James Hourigan put it to the witness that she changed or 'embellished' her earlier statement in relation to his client, in order to make him a participant in the killing.

"He was a real participant, an active participant in the whole tragedy - 'my tragedy', she replied.

Mrs McCarthy said she would always remember 'word for word, picture to picture' what happened from the moment the two accused entered her house until her son was stabbed.

"They took my treasure, my pride, my joy away from me."

The trial continues tomorrow.