Murder accused denies part in Dublin stabbing

The trial of two Dublin men accused of stabbing a man to death heard gardaí describe the victim's sitting room as a "bloodbath" in an interview with one of the accused, a jury at the Central Criminal Court heard today.

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

Mr Brendan Grehan SC read to the jury part of garda interviews with the accused Gary McNevin, following his arrest on October 24.

The court has heard that the two accused, the dead man and a woman were drinking together in a pub and later bought cans and took a taxi to the home of the deceased.

"I put it to you that the sitting room was like a bloodbath. You could not have not known what went on," Detective Sergeant Joe O'Hara said to McNevin.

"I'm not blaming anything on anyone," McNevin replied. "I'm taking responsibility for what I've done, not for anything else anyone else done."

McNevin said he gave Mr Mitchell "a few digs and banged my crutch off him".

When it was put to him that McNevin gave the deceased a "right-good hiding", he said: "I don't know." He denied having any knowledge of how Mr Mitchell's feet ended up bound together.

McNevin said he did not check to see if Mr Mitchell was alive when they left the house because he was "just that frightened".

"I didn't stab him or anything like that," McNevin told gardaí.

"I put it to you that you murdered Peter Mitchell," Detective Garda Ronan Lafferty said.

"I didn't," McNevin replied.

He again denied his involvement in the death of Mr Mitchell when McNevin was asked if he felt any remorse "for killing this man".

"I didn't kill him. Of course you wouldn't be human if you didn't feel remorse," he replied.

The court has heard that gardai found Mr Mitchell's body on October 20 following a tip-off. The deceased was slumped on his sofa with 16 stab wounds, had congealed blood over his face and body and his feet bound with a shoelace.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Michael Peart.