Victim 'beaten about the head and face', court hears

A pensioner was found dead in his home in Kilbeggan last year after he was tied up and beaten, having received “blows, punches and kicks” to the face and head, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

The court also heard that a man carrying a “bulk” of €50 notes bought a suit in Debenham’s in Dublin the day after the alleged murder.

Noel Cawley (aged 47), of no fixed abode, but with a previous address in Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Christy Hanley (aged 83), at his home on Bridge St, Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath, on May 21 last year.

He has also pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Hanley of an unknown sum of money at the same address on the same date.

It is the prosecution's case that Mr Cawley tied Mr Hanley up, robbed him and beat him to death.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis told the court that Mr Hanley “seemed to have been beaten about the head and face”.

”This could have been caused by blows, punches and kicks.”

He said that Mr Hanley bled from his injuries and that this would have caused obstruction to his breathing.

Dr Curtis said that Mr Hanley could have died from inhaling the blood.

“Somebody who is beaten and may be concussed is... at the risk of inhaling blood into the airways, rendering the person unable to breathe.”

Joanne Gaffney told the court that she was employed at Debenhams clothing store on Henry Street in Dublin in May last year.

She said that she served a man the day after the alleged murder.

The man bought a suit, shirt, tie and a pair of shoes.

He wore the clothes that he purchased and put his old clothes in a Debenham’s bag before he left.

Ms Gaffney said that the man paid in cash.

“He had an awful lot of cash. He had a bulk of 50s on him. I thought that was strange.”

Ms Gaffney said that the man had “roughly about €1,000” but that she “couldn’t be exactly sure.”

Gda Enda Kenny told the court that he was working in Tullamore garda station the day after the alleged murder.

He received a phonecall between 8.55am and 9am. The caller, a male, said that Christy Hanley was tied up in his house in Kilbeggan.

The caller then hung up.

Michael Finnerty, investigations manager at eircom, told the court that directory enquiry records show that a connection was made at 8.54am on May 22 last year from a payphone outside the Oval Bar on Abbey St in Dublin to Tullamore garda station.

Extensive use was also made of CCTV footage collated from various locations in Kilbeggan, Mullingar and Dublin.

The court has previously heard that the accused, Mr Cawley, was wearing a navy baseball cap and jeans as well as carrying a schoolbag on the morning of the alleged murder.

Garda Stephanie Moylan told the court that CCTV footage taken from the county council offices in Kilbeggan at 10.54am that morning showed a man wearing a baseball cap, light blue jeans, a black jacket with stripes down the sleeves and white runners. The man was also carrying a backpack.

A man of similar description was subsequently seen from cameras at Londis in the centre of Kilbeggan at 4.20pm and 5.12pm.

CCTV from the Aroma Café in Mullingar taken at 6.45pm showed a man wearing clothes of similar description.

A camera at Eason’s on Abbey St in Dublin showed a man in similar clothes exit a telephone kiosk outside the Oval Bar at 8.56am the next day.

Further CCTV footage showed a man of similar description enter Debenham’s at 9am, purchase a suit and leave.

The trial continues.