Jury sees CCTV film of murder scene

The jury in a Dublin murder trial saw footage of a man entering the murder scene before the crime and then exiting before leaving the area.

The CCTV footage was shown on day four of the trial of homeless man Stephen Byrne (aged 36), who has pleaded not guilty to killing 70-year-old William Traynor on Sunday evening June 17, 2007.

Fire-fighters found Mr Traynor’s badly beaten body in his home on St Francis Terrace, Bow Street, after being called to a small fire there. He died from his injuries two days later in Beaumont Hospital.

Security footage from the Capuchin Day Centre across the street showed a man entering Mr Traynor’s house about 5pm that day and leaving about an hour later.

The court had already heard from a neighbour, who contacted the fire brigade around 6pm, after seeing smoke and flames in the house.

The jury was also shown footage of the elderly man shopping with a crutch hours earlier, along with CCTV stills of the accused in a local shop and take away that evening.

Detective Garda Aidan Murphy, who had known Mr Traynor for several years, said did not recognise him when he saw him in his home that evening.

“He was unrecognisable to me due to the extent of the facial injuries,” he said.

D Gda Murphy said that two days after the attack, he received a number of Mr Byrne’s belongings from a couple, who had allowed him to stay with them around that time. Among them were the victim’s free travel pass and social welfare card.

The jury also heard from Garda Ruth Collins of the Bridewell garda station. She took Mr Byrne’s details about 5.15pm on Sunday June 18, 2007, when he was detained at the station following his arrest.

Gda Collins said Mr Byrne was taken to a cell shortly afterwards and his solicitor was contacted. The accused was walking around his cell, when she checked him at 5.40pm. However, when his solicitor arrived 10 minutes later, he seemed to be trying to strangle himself, she said.

“I found Stephen Byrne with the string of his jacket wrapped around his neck and he was holding it tightly,” she said. Gda Collins released the string and brought Mr Byrne to meet his solicitor.

“He was being aggressive and shouting at myself and Garda O’Connor,” she said, adding that she then called a doctor for the prisoner, who was taking 120mls of methadone per day.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of seven women and five men.