Cork man died from internal bleeding, court hears

A 28-year-old Cork man stabbed to death in front of his mother died from massive internal bleeding and shock due to a stab wound in his left groin, the State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy told a jury at the Central Criminal court today.

After conducting a Post Mortem examination on the deceased, Mr Noel McCarthy, Dr Cassidy found multiple injuries to his face, head, ear, groin and hand as well as massive internal bleeding.

She told the court Mr McCarthy's femoral artery in his left groin was completely slashed in two resulting in "200ml of free blood in the abdomen and massive haemorraging around the kidneys and inside the pelvis area". She noticed that he also had "a stab wound to the bladder".

Detailing other injuries Dr Cassidy told the jury he "had a 5.6 cm cut between his ear and mouth on the left side of his face" she said, referring to a slash wound which Mr McCarthy received some hours before he was stabbed again in the groin.

Two more cuts were found on the back of his head and his ear which were also superficial, she said. A cut across the back of his hand was on "a typical site of defensive injuries" she noted.

She concluded that cause of death was from a "damaged major blood vessel which left him in a bleeding and shocked state and led to his eventual death".

Dr Cassidy was giving evidence in the third day of the trial of Mr Keith O'Donovan (aged 31) of Spriggs Road, Gurranabraher, Cork city. Mr O'Donovan has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Noel McCarthy at his home on Spriggs Road, Gurranabraher, Cork on May 4, 2000.

The victim's mother Mrs Mary McCarthy was seen leaving the courtroom in tears during Dr Cassidy's evidence.

The jury also heard details of evidence found at the scene of the crime from Detective Garda Gerry Griffin: "I saw dried bloody footprints from 8 Spriggs Road to No.5 Spriggs Road" he said.

He told Mr John Edwards SC prosecuting that he also found further blood stains and splatters on the public footpath between No’s 8 and 3 Spriggs Road on May 4, 2000.

A statement from a taxi-driver working that night was also read out to the jury by Mr Edwards.

Mr Joseph Woods confirmed he collected the deceased and his friend Mr Sean Green from the Mercy Hospital in Cork at 3.25am.

He said he noticed one man was bandaged about the head and hand and said to him "you’ve been in the wars".

The man told him that he "had had a row with one of his neighbours" according to the taxi-driver.

The court heard from Mrs McCarthy yesterday that her son had just returned home from hospital when two men called to their door, pushed their way in and stabbed him in the groin.

The trial has adjourned for the weekend and will resume before Mr Justice Paul Butler on Monday.