Engineer gives evicence in stabbing trial

An engineer has given evidence at the trial of a man accused of stabbing another in the abdomen causing his intestines to protrude from his body, that lighting conditions at the scene were "very dark".

David Semple was called as an expert witness by defence counsel, Patrick MacEntee SC, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial and said he was an engineer of 35 years experience.

Darren Duff (aged 36) with an address at Doon Court, Poppintree Ballymun has pleaded not guilty to causing serious harm to Stephen McCann on July 28, 2001 at Hillcrest Estate, Lucan by stabbing him.

Mr Semple said he visited the area on July 9, 2008 during daytime and at 11.30pm. He took photographs and light metre readings which revealed that conditions outside the houses in question were "very dark".

He said he went to the window of a house overlooking the garden where the stabbing took place because he understood from the book of evidence that a witness had observed the incident from that window.

Mr Semple said he sent the solicitor accompanying him into the garden but was unable to identify the solicitor's facial features from the window given the lighting conditions.

The court earlier heard that the alleged incident occurred just after 3am.

Under cross examination by Melanie Greally BL, prosecuting, Mr Semple agreed that he did not take photographs from the window. He said he was in "no doubt" in relation to his observations.

Mr Semple said the photographs he took of the street at night were taken without the assistance of a flash or night setting. He denied Ms Greally's suggestion that the photographs were not an accurate reflection of the lighting conditions.

"You could easily have used some light fitting to more accurately capture what could be seen with the naked eye," she said. "I didn't," he replied.

The hearing continues before Judge Frank O'Donnell and jury of seven men and five women.