Court hears evidence of pensioner killing

A homeless man pleading not guilty to murdering a Dublin pensioner told gardaí he “lost the head” and “hit the old fella in the chest twice” a court heard.

Detective Garda Frank Tracey was giving evidence to the Central Criminal Court in the trial of 36-year-old Stephen Byrne, who denies murdering William Traynor (aged 70) in his house on St Francis Terrace, Bow Street on June 17, 2007.

Fire-fighters found the elderly man badly beaten that evening, after being called to a small fire in his home. He died from his injuries two days later in Beaumont Hospital.

Det. Gda Tracey said Mr Byrne requested to see him in his cell when he was being detained on the morning of June 19, 2007. The news had just come through that Mr Traynor had passed away.

The detective said he and Mr Byrne knew each other as he worked in the area where the accused lived. Mr Byrne had been detained in Bridewell Garda Station since the night before but this was the detective’s first dealing with him.

“Frank, I want to talk to you. Listen I want to tell you,” said Mr Byrne, according to the detective. “I was passing by. He was at the door. He sprayed. The old fella sprayed me.”

Mr Byrne had previously told investigating gardaí that Mr Traynor was standing in his doorway spraying the contents of a fire extinguisher at passers by, including him.

“I lost the head. I hit the old fella in the chest twice. He fell back onto the floor. There was blood. I put him into the room,” he said.

In his previous interview with gardaí, he said two young men became annoyed when they were sprayed. He said he told them to leave the old man alone before he pushed Mr Traynor into his house and closed the door.

He said he later thought about it and returned to find Mr Traynor cut and bleeding. He said he cleaned his face, wrapped him in blankets, lit a camping stove for heat and called an ambulance.

The detective said that he withdrew any insinuation about the two young men that morning,

“There were two young fellas but they didn’t do anything,” he said.

Detective Sergeant Martin Griffin was the sergeant in charge of the station’s prison section that day. He said it was through him Mr Byrne requested to speak to D Gda Traynor.

“He was distressed. I thought crying,” he said. “He said he wished to speak to Detective Frank.”

Det. Sgt Griffin said he was there when Det. Gda Traynor cautioned Mr Byrne and took his statement.

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