Witness tells court of kicks on day of fatal stabbing

A man who was stabbed to death was attacked by his alleged killer "like a footballer about to kick", the Central Criminal Court heard today.

Valerij Makarov (aged 25), also known as 'Andris Simonis', Earlsfort Drive, Lucan, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Tomas Lukosevicious (aged 30), on May 11, 2003 in Lucan.

The accused has also pleaded not guilty to causing intentional or reckless harm to Mr Aldevinias Gudavicious (aged 34) and to threatening to harm Jonas Bernotas (aged 21), on the same date in Lucan.

Ray Managh, a neighbour of the accused, witnessed part of the fatal attack from his window across the street from the accused on Earlsfort Drive.

"I thought the guy across the road had caught burglars," Mr Managh told the jury.

He described seeing a number of men running from the house of the accused, one of whom "stumbled and fell to the middle of the road".

"The third man then kicked and punched the man on the ground in the face and head," Mr Managh told the court.

"There was one particularly vicious kick, where the assailant stepped back, took aim at the head of the person on the ground, moving one or two steps to his left – very reminiscent of a footballer about to kick," he said.

The man on the ground did not try to defend himself, the court heard.

"He literally curled his legs up into a foetal position and tried to avoid the kicks," Mr Managh said.

The jury has heard that three men went to the home of the accused to have a "friendly discussion" about a payment allegedly promised back to Mr Bernotas for the procurement of a job.

Defence counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett has told the court that a cement block was thrown through the windshield of a car in Makarov's driveway four hours before the fatal stabbing occurred.

Mr Hartnett SC has said that the accused had received threats the same day, which claimed "that the same will happen to your car and your children will be kidnapped if you don't pay the money".

The trial before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of five men and seven women continues tomorrow.