Witness denies deceased insulted Offaly brothers

A witness in the trial of two brothers accused of murdering a 49-year-old farmer in Co Laois has denied that the deceased called one of the accused “scum” and told the other there was “bad and dirty breeding” in him.

Daniel-Joseph "DJ" Byrne (aged 38), of Hammer Lane, Borness, Mountmellick, Co Laois and Jason Byrne (aged 32), of the same address, have both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Edward “Eddie” Dempsey on October 11, 2007.