'Significant number of drinks' before Fatima Mansions murder

The trial at the Central Criminal Court of a 37-year-old Dublin man accused of murder has heard he stabbed his neighbour.

Mr Isaac 'Ike' Horgan (aged 37) of Fatima Manions, Dublin, denies the murder of Mr Douglas 'Dougie' McManus (aged 36), also of Fatima Mansions, on June 17, 2002, at Fatima Mansions.

He has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Mark Holmes, originally from Ranelagh, Dublin, on the same date.

In the prosecution's opening speech by Mr Paddy McCarthy SC (with Mr Garnet Orange BL), the court heard that the deceased man had been drinking in Rialto House public house with Mr Brian Fearon and Mr Mark Holmes on the evening of the fatal stabbing.

"A significant number of drinks were consumed," Mr McCarthy told the court. The three men then went to the home of the accused man at Fatima Mansions and there was "no doubt that they entered the home of Mr Horgan aggressively", the prosecutor said.

"It appears they attacked the accused and what is known as fisticuffs ensued," Mr McCarthy said.

"In the course of this Mr Horgan produced a knife and stabbed Mr Holmes", the court heard.

Mr Holmes and Mr Fearon were standing outside the accused man’s flat when they saw Mr McManus "stumbling through the doorway" of the flat "clutching his chest".

The court heard the deceased man was "bleeding profusely" from his nose and mouth. Mr McManus, the court heard, was pronounced dead at St James’ Hospital at 11.25pm.

The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, the prosecutor said, will give evidence that the deceased man suffered nine stab wounds, three to the head and neck and six to the trunk. The cause of death, Mr McCarthy SC said, was "multiple stab wounds".

Mr Brian Fearon, originally from Crumlin, Dublin, told the court he went drinking with the deceased and Mr Holmes on the evening of the fatal stabbing.

He told the prosecutor that he was drinking pints of Bulmers, finishing drinking sometime after 9pm. Mr Fearon said they went to Mr Horgan's flat at Fatima Mansions.

"I had a little bit of trouble with him (Mr Horgan)," Mr Fearon said. "I had had an argument with him."

When he went into the accused man’s flat, Mr Fearon said he met a woman in the hallway and asked her where Mr Horgan was. "She said he wasn’t there," Mr Fearon told the jury.

But the witness said he went into the darkened sitting room to find the accused man "hiding in the corner".

Mr Fearon told the jury that he started punching the accused man, telling the court: "I wanted to give him a good beating." When asked the reason for this, Mr Fearon said: "Because I had an argument with him."

Mr Fearon said the girlfriend of the accused was screaming: "Leave him alone." The witness told the court that Mr Horgan was lying on the ground when he left him. When he went out to the front garden, Mr Fearon said he noticed Mr McManus had collapsed and he was "spitting out blood".

Mr Fearon said he went to go back inside the flat but the sitting room door was barricaded.

Mr Mark Holmes told the court that after the deceased and Mr Fearon finished drinking in the Rialto House pub, they went around to the accused man’s flat.

"Me and Brian Fearon went in first," he told the jury. Mr Holmes said they went into Mr Horgan’s flat to "give him a few slaps" as there had been a dispute of some kind.

"I assaulted the person in the house. As far as I know, it was Isaac Horgan," Mr Holmes told the court.

"I hit him (Mr Horgan) first. I think [he was] standing and then he went down," the witness told the court.

Mr Holmes said he felt he was getting a "few digs" and added: "I felt wet on my face…I fell to the ground and then I left." He said Mr Fearon followed him outside. The court heard he then saw the deceased fall to the ground.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler.