Murder accused's mother alleges attempted rape

The mother of a Carlow man accused of the murder of a teenage father-of-one has alleged that the dead man tried to have sex with her two weeks before he was allegedly stabbed to death by her son.

Ms Noeleen Dillon is the mother of 22-year-old John Dillon, of Granby Row, Carlow, who is on trial for the murder of 17-year-old Warren Slater.

Mr Slater was stabbed to death outside the house at Granby Row, Carlow on May 13, 2001.

John Dillon denies a charge of murder.

The court heard that at the time of his death Mr Slater lived with his girlfriend and their six-month old baby in a downstairs bedsit of the same house in which Mr Dillon lived with his mother Noeleen and his sister, Cathy.

Today in evidence, Ms Noeleen Dillon said she was "nearly raped" by Warren Slater a couple of weeks before the stabbing.

She told the trial that her son "just flipped" after Warren Slater mentioned the alleged attempted rape during an unrelated incident on the night of May 13, 2001.

She said she heard Mr Slater say "So what" or words to that effect after she heard John say, "You tried to rape my mother".

Ms Dillon said her son went straight into the house and returned with a knife in his hand.

She tried to stop him but he pushed past her. Although she did not see the stabbing, she saw Warren Slater staggering immediately afterwards, she said.