Murder trial hears victim 'stabbed with steak knife'

A row between a murder accused and three men over the use of a public telephone kiosk escalated into a fight during which a man was fatally stabbed by a steak knife, it was alleged at the Central Criminal court today.

Prosecutor Mr Alex Owens SC opened the case against Mr Gerard Dunne (aged 29) of Rafters Avenue, Drimnagh, Dublin today for the murder of Mr Liam Thompson (aged 20) of Woodlawn Park Grove, Firhouse, Tallaght, on or about January 26, 1999, at Dolphin’s Road, Dublin.

Mr Dunne has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.

Mr Owens told the jury of three women and nine men that the accused had returned home from a night out with his girlfriend when he was told a former girlfriend was trying to contact him.

He was using a telephone kiosk on the South Circular Road when three men approached him and a row broke out, Mr Owens alleged.

He said the three men had come from a funeral party of the Napier family and had been drinking in a pub on the South Circular Road after burying their father that day.

He told the court that at closing time Mr Liam Thompson was one of a number of people who left the pub with some Napier cousins and friends. He told the jury that there was a "degree of aggression on the part of Mr Gerard Dunne and Mr Liam Thompson and the two Napiers".

Mr Owens alleges that when the row at the phone box ended and the deceased and the two Napier men walked over Herberton Bridge at the canal, followed by the accused and a brother of Mr Dunne's girlfriend.

"Stephen McNeill got a steak knife for him and they followed Harry Napier and Liam Thompson," Mr Owens told the jury.

"A fight ensued, during which Gerard Dunne used the knife to stab Liam Thompson," Mr Owens alleged.

He told the jury that Mr Thompson was fatally injured when he was stabbed in the stomach and the heart and died at St James’ Hospital at 12.15am on January 26, 1999.

He said it was the prosecution’s case that the accused "became involved in an argument, that a second row took place when Mr Dunne and Mr McNeill caught up with Liam Thompson and a knife was used" Mr Owens contended.

Eye-witness Mr Harry Napier told defence counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett SC that he was walking over the bridge with Mr Raymond Napier and Mr Liam Thompson when two men came up behind them.

He admitted that he was getting the better of the fight which ensued at the canal: "At one stage, yes, because I had a bag of cans. I might have hit him in the arm..One was swinging a belt so I swung my bag back."

Mr Napier admitted he kicked someone in the head but insisted they "didn’t want any trouble. We were only after burying our father". When asked by Mr Hartnett where he kicked the man in the head, Mr Napier replied: "On the left hand side of his face. Maybe around the temple".

"Why did you hit the man?" Mr Hartnett asked him. "Because the other man shouted: ‘Stab the b*****d. Stab the b*****d,'" Mr Napier replied.

"When I turned around, the accused was on top of Liam’s chest, he was kneeling down on Liam’s chest," Mr Napier told the jury.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Henry Abbott tomorrow.