Accused told gardaí that victim deserved 'a good hiding', court hears

A Dublin man accused of kicking another man to death in a derelict mansion then burning the body told gardaí the dead man had deserved a “good hiding”.

Alan Walsh (aged 39) of Edenmore Park in Coolock denies the murder of Dermot Sheridan at Red Court, Seafield Road East, Clontarf between August 8 and August 9 2007. He also denies arson at the same time and place.

Mr Walsh told gardaí: “He deserved a good hiding but he didn’t deserve to be left to die.”

Sergeant Brian Clooney told prosecuting counsel Mr Mark Durack SC that Mr Walsh presented himself at Raheny garda station in the early hours of August 9. He was covered in blood and said he thought he may have killed his friend.

Mr Walsh told gardaí that he had been drinking with two other men since around lunchtime the previous day. At around 9pm they had decided to go to the derelict house which they knew to be open and abandoned.

The row developed after Mr Sheridan had insulted Mr Walsh’s family and said he was growing to be like his father, who was in a home with a chronic liver complaint through excessive drinking.

Mr Walsh told gardaí that Mr Sheridan had not fought back when he started kicking him. He said he picked up an empty wine bottle that was lying on the kitchen floor and started to hit Mr Sheridan over the head.

When the bottle did not break he threw it away and picked up a second bottle. When this also did not break he picked up a third bottle, then a fourth, but none of the bottles broke.

Sgt Clooney said Mr Walsh told gardaí he had stopped to have a cigarette but became angry when Mr Sheridan started groaning so he started kicking him again.

“I told him to look at my face. That my name was Alan Walsh and to remember what I looked like.”

He told gardaí Mr Sheridan had been semi-conscious for most of the incident although he lost consciousness for the last five minutes or so. He thought he had been kicking Mr Sheridan for around an hour.

Mr Walsh said he then covered Mr Sheridan in newspapers and set fire to them with his cigarette lighter before leaving the house.

Sgt Clooney said Mr Walsh said he did not think about the consequences of his action but said he knew that Mr Sheridan would die in the fire “if he didn’t get up and walk away”.

Mr Walsh told gardaí that his failure to take his depression medication had not caused his outburst but alcohol had been a factor.

“I definitely would not have set fire to the newspapers in the house if I was sober.”

Sgt Moloney told Mr Erwin Mill-Arden SC, defence, that he did not smell drink on Mr Walsh and he seemed calm although he giggled at certain points in the interviews.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Barry White and the jury of eight men and four women.