Dublin murder trial enters closing stages

The trial of a man accused of kicking another man to death then setting fire to his body has entered its closing stages in the Central Criminal Court.

Alan Walsh, (aged 39) of 43 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 prosecuting counsel Mr Mark Durack SC in cross examination that he had “probably” told the gardaí a somewhat different account of the night of the incident.

He denied that he had been self-serving when he told the jury that he had not hit Mr Sheridan over the head with several bottles or that he had drunk significantly more than he had previously told the gardaí.

He also told Mr Durack that he was telling the truth when he said that the deceased had hit him when a row developed after they had been drinking together for most of the day. He agreed that he had told the gardaí Mr Sheridan had lunged at him but never actually hit him.

Mr Walsh told the gardaí that he had been drinking with Mr Sheridan and another man in St Anne’s Park in Raheny until the three men went to the derelict house to continue drinking.

After about three hours, a row developed when Mr Sheridan told Mr Walsh he was growing up to be like his alcoholic father. Mr Walsh told gardaí he “lost control” when Mr Sheridan said he was like his father and that all his family were scum. He said he then heaped newspapers over Mr Sheridan’s body and set fire to them before leaving the house.

In his closing speech, Mr Durack told the jury that once they considered the evidence they would be driven to bring back the guilty verdict. He said that what Mr Walsh had told the jury had been designed to “lessen his involvement and say he didn’t really mean it.”

Mr Erwin Mill-Arden SC, defending, said that Mr Walsh had known about the inconsistencies in his evidence but had stood in the witness box anyway. He said that this was not the action of a man guilty of murder.

He said that while Mr Walsh was undoubtedly responsible for an unlawful killing he was not guilty of murder. He said Mr Walsh had led an unhappy life and was very close to his family. It was this that made Mr Sheridan’s insults too much to bear. “The only jewel he has in his life is being rubbed in the floor.”

He asked the jury to “tread warily on the case of Alan Walsh”.

Mr Justice Barry White told the jury of eight men and four women they could expect to bring their deliberations before lunch tomorrow.