Doormen accused of Vietnamese man's murder

A Vietnam war survivor who was kicked and punched in the head by two doormen during an assault in Dublin never regained consciousness and died from head injuries, a murder trial jury at the Central Criminal court heard today.

Luong Ly Minh, aged 50, who moved to Ireland after the Vietnam war to build a new life for himself, was on his way home after a night out in Temple Bar with a Chinese friend when they were suddenly attacked on the street by two men, the jury was told by prosecutor Tom O’ Connell, SC.

Mr O’Connell was opening the case for the prosecution on the first day of the murder trial of James Harmer, aged 26, originally from Stafford, England and Noel O’Flaherty, aged 33, of McCormack Gardens, Sutton, Co Dublin.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Minh at Fownes St Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin on August 19, 2002.

The men also deny assaulting Mr Minh’s Chinese friend, Dong Wei, causing him serious harm, at the same location on August 16, 2002.

“In this case there is an assault which involved punches, kicks and at least one head butt. The two accused acted together…in a gang of two” Mr O’Connell alleged.

He said that during the assault on Mr Wei he was “beaten up, he was covered in blood” and “had an injury to his nose”.

Mr O’Connell said each of the accused punched the two men during the assault: “in the case of Mr O'Flaherty, a head butt, and in the case of Mr Harmer, a few kicks” he said.

Outlining the evidence to be heard, Mr O’Connell told the jury they will hear eye-witness accounts from Mr Wei, who survived the assault, two taxi-drivers and other passers-by who witnessed parts of the assault.

“You will also have DNA evidence which will prove that Dong Wei’s blood was found on the clothes of Mr Harmer and Mr O’Flaherty,” he added.

The prosecutor told the jury that on the night of the August 15, 2002, the two accused had been drinking at various pubs around the city centre and had drank “a moderate amount of drink”.

He said “a small quantity” of cannabis resin had been smoked by the men in one of the pubs. Mr Harmer drank only beer and had “a few puffs” of a joint while Mr O’Flaherty had “some rum and vodka, not a huge amount, and some puffs of a joint” also, Mr O’Connell alleged.

The deceased, who ran a Chinese take-away in Ballymun, and chef Mr Wei, had just left the Club M nightclub in Temple Bar when they “were attacked all of a sudden by two men, who the prosecution says were the two accused” on Fownes St Upper, Mr O’Connell said.

“The result was that Mr Minh ended up unconscious on the ground where the attack took place” he said.

Mr Minh was taken to St. James’ Hospital, “never recovered consciousness” and died from head injuries sustained during the attack four days later on August 19, 2002, the prosecution contended.

Mr O’Connell said the two accused met each other through their work as doormen. Mr Harmer was living in a city centre hostel at the time. “That is how they came to be together on the night in question” he told the jury of eight men and four women.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Henry Abbott.