Prosecution gives closing speech to murder trial jury

A jury in the trial of a 19-year-old Dublin man accused of murder today heard that the accused deliberately stabbed the deceased.

Jason Larkin of Ravensdale Road, East Wall, Dublin denies stabbing Mr Patrick Costello, aged 31, also of East Wall, at 'The Plough' public house, Marlborough Street on July 4, 2002.

It is claimed that Mr Larkin stabbed the victim after the pair had been involved in a slagging match or row after drinking in the Plough bar for several hours.

Patrick McCarthy, senior counsel for the prosecution today in his closing speech at the Central Criminal Court said that Mr Larkin deliberately ran "towards Mr Costello, thrusting a knife into the chest and sack of the heart. This was a deliberate act by Mr Larkin.".

The force used, Mr McCarthy said, was "not necessary in the context of what was going on".

Mr Larkin said in his statement to the gardaí that "he was acting in self defence, saying 'I didn't mean to stab him, it was a collision'. This was no accident", Mr McCarthy said.

Mr McCarthy claims that after Mr Larkin threw a glass at Mr Costello's head, they both ended up at the porch of the bar, where the accused allegedly drew his knife from the inside of his jacket and lunged it into the chest of the deceased.

"Mr Larkin used a knife in this case when it just wasn't warranted," Mr McCarthy, SC, said.

After the victim was stabbed, Mr McCarthy for the prosecution claims that Mr Larkin allegedly fled the scene, withdrew money from an ATM machine and continued drinking in the Forum bar in the city centre before passing by the scene again in the early hours of July 5, 2002.

"We say that Mr Larkin acted with purpose to bring about a result to cause serious injury to Mr Costello as a result of which he died", Mr McCarthy said.

Addressing the jury of eight men and four women, Isobel Kennedy, senior counsel for the defence said "self defence must be considered by you in this case".

Ms Kennedy urged the jury to place themselves into the situation that Mr Larkin was in on the night in question, asking the jury members would they acted any differently to Mr Larkin.

The bulk of the witnesses for the prosecution, Ms Kennedy said, "were not credible".

The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White.