Murder accused seen hugging victim on CCTV, court hears

Minutes before Karl Breen inflicted the three stabs wounds, which killed Martin McLaughlin, he was pictured on CCTV hugging and embracing his friend, a court has heard.

Breen (aged 27) of Clondalkin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr McLaughlin (aged 21), also of Clondalkin, on January 2, 2006.

A jury of 10 men and two women in the Central Criminal Court heard Mr McLaughlin died in Mater Hospital on January 2, 2006, after Breen stabbed him three times, including once in the heart, during an argument at Jurys Inn Hotel on New Year’s Eve.

Breen’s counsel Mr Michael O’Higgins SC made 16 admissions on behalf of Breen, to the jury this afternoon.

He said Breen admitted there had been an altercation in hotel room 332 and Breen admitted he stabbed Mr McLaughlin, including once in the chest.

Breen also admitted Mr McLaughlin died as a result of the stab wounds.

Mr O’Higgins SC said Breen admitted he is seen on CCTV footage from the hotel hugging and embracing Mr McLaughlin in the foyer before the incident.

In opening the case to the jury Mr Brendan Grehan SC for the director of public prosecutions said five couples had checked in to the Jurys Inn Hotel, beside Croke Park, on New Years Eve including Breen and Mr McLaughlin who were both with their girlfriends.

They were staying on the third floor of the hotel, Breen and his girlfriend Nicola Nugent, who had booked the hotel, in room 332.

The couples had dinner together in the hotel drinking five bottles of Moet and Chandon before ordering taxis to take them to Isaac Butts nightclub in Store Street, the court heard.

Mr Grehan SC said they all returned to the hotel about 1am and continued drinking in the hotel resident’s bar.

He told Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins and the jury, about 4am a number of them went back to room 332 and Breen and Mr McLaughlin would be shown on CCTV footage hugging in the foyer of the hotel.

The men also went back to room 332 where a bottle of champagne had been ordered.

“An argument developed in the hotel room which the women who were present were involved in and which Karl Breen and Martin McLaughlin became embroiled in swinging some punches at one another,” Mr Grehan SC said.

Mr McLaughlin went to leave with his girlfriend Elaine Fagan and as he did Breen stabbed him, the court heard.

“Karl Breen put the knife inside the waist of his trousers changed the shirt he was wearing in the room, put on a jumper and left the hotel immediately,” Mr Grehan SC said.

The court also heard from two witnesses who were hotel receptionists and staying on the same floor of the hotel as the couples the night of the incident.

Jennifer Fortune told the court she heard a woman screaming.

“I heard girls screaming in the corridor. It sounded like she was saying he was dead,” Ms Fortune said.

Under cross examination from Mr O’Higgins SC she said she heard a woman who was answering to the name Elaine saying, “he stabbed him, he stabbed him, it was Deco”.

Mr O’Higgins said by asking the question he was not trying to say Deco had any involvement in the incident.

The trial is expected to run until next week.