Sister says brother told her he had 'stabbed somebody'

A sister of one of two Dublin men accused of murdering a man said her brother told her he had "stabbed somebody", a jury at the Central Criminal Court heard today.

Alan Keogh (aged 32), of Wellmount Green, Finglas and Gary McNevin (aged 31), of no fixed abode but with an address at Glenhill Road, Finglas, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Peter Mitchell (aged 32), of Monasterboice Road, Crumlin, at Monasterboice Road between and inclusive of October 17-20, 2003.

The court heard evidence from Keogh's older sister, Ms Elaine Morgan. The accused Keogh is the second eldest of two brothers and two sisters.

Ms Morgan said she had seen her brother at their mum's house in Finglas on Saturday, October 18, where he had arrived with a plastic bag, collected some clothes and left again. She next saw her brother on Monday, October 20: "We hadn't seen him for the weekend again," she said.

The court heard that Keogh had completed alcohol rehabilitation in Limerick a few weeks previously.

On the Monday, Keogh asked to speak to his sister privately in the sitting room, she told the court.

"He was looking for money. He was shaking and looked rough. I told him I was not giving him money," she said.

"He then proceeded to tell me that he had been at a party and he'd stabbed somebody," Ms Morgan said. "I couldn't believe what he was telling me."

Ms Morgan told prosecuting counsel Mr Brendan Grehan SC that she couldn't recall the exact words her brother used: "He said he thought the person was dead or that the person was dead."

The court heard that Ms Morgan only believed her brother once she saw the cuts on the inside of his hand.

Keogh begged his sister not to tell their mother, who was in the house at the time. "He said: 'don't tell her, don't tell her'," Ms Morgan said.

Under cross-examination by Keogh's counsel, Ms Caroline Gibbs BL, Ms Morgan said she thought her brother would kill himself, "the state he was in".

The court heard that Keogh had increased contact with his family following his rehabilitation and that he had been stabbed "in the forehead" when he was 17 or 18.

The accused had also asked for money from his younger brother, Philip Keogh, who said his brother had told him about a "row".

Alan Keogh had been in the house of "the chap in the pub" when a row broke out, Philip Keogh said.

"Did he tell you how the row had started?" Mr Grehan asked.

"Gary was asleep and then Gary woke up and the chap had his hands down Gary's trousers," Philip Keogh replied.

The court also heard from the accused Gary McNevin's sister, Ms Monica Murphy. She said her brother and Alan Keogh arrived drunk at her house at 6.30am on October 17 with bloodstains on their clothing. She said McNevin had blood on both his arms and jacket and on "the top bit" of his crutch, and Keogh's shoes and trousers were blood-soaked and he "was bleeding all over the floor".

Ms Murphy said she refused her brother's request to wash their clothes and "just wanted them out of the house".

"They said they were in a fight and Gary told me: 'Look, don't worry'," Ms Murphy said.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Michael Peart.