Cork murder trial sees 'weapons'

A jury at the fourth day of a murder trial of a Cork man accused of murder today saw the alleged murder weapons, including a bloodied concrete block, a four-foot metal pipe, an iron bar, a six-foot metal gutter and a spear-like metal bar.

Mr Mark Allingham, aged 23, of Fr Murphy Place, Midleton, Co Cork has pleaded not guilty to the killing of Mr Gerard Hackett, aged 49, of the Cork Simon Community and Reen Downey Place, Cork City on a unknown date between October 16 and 21, 2002.

Garda Brendan Coughlan, exhibits officer in the murder trial, today showed the jury the alleged murder instruments along with an axe led to the murder of Mr Hackett.

During the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court, a jury saw Mr Allingham admit to gardaí - during a videotaped interview - to killing Mr Hackett with an axe seven times in the head after he allegedly tried to have sex with him at a derelict house known as The Rock, Towns Park, Midleton, Co Cork.

It was revealed to the jury during Mr Allingham's recorded interview with gardaí on October 21, 2002, that he said he is bisexual and that he believed Mr Hackett was a homosexual.

Today Dr John Thompson, GP to the accused told the jury under cross examination by the defence counsel, Mr John O'Kelly, SC, that Mr Allingham's home life from a child was "far from ideal".

Dr Thompson said today that Mr Allingham's mother was "depressed from time to time" and it was generally a dysfunctional family.

From an early age, Dr Thompson said Mr Allingham showed early signs of "emotional upset". In 1986, Dr Thompson said Mr Allingham aged just six years of age was taken into care including his two brothers.

Dr Thompson told the jury that Mr Allingham had attempted suicide on one occasion and "binge drank".

The trial continues before Mr Justice Diarmuid O'Donovan.