Murder accused 'pushed victim out of bedroom', court hears

A 51-year-old Slovakian man accused of murdering his flatmate told investigating gardaí that he had pushed the deceased out of his bedroom sometime before the stab victim was found in a pool of blood.

Josef Szabo of Rathlin House, Waterville, Blanchardstown has pleaded not guilty to murdering Robert Kwiatkowski on April 20, 2007 at their home in Rathlin House. The 33-year-old Polish man died from a stab wound to the chest.

Sergeant John Hyland told the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court that the deceased had been taken to hospital by the time he arrived at the scene that evening.

He found a blood-covered hallway and saw a knife on the floor. There was also some blood in a bedroom.

Mr Szabo was there with his other flatmate, Slovakian couple Ladislav Nemecheck and Eve Kocokova. The two men were covered in blood.

“I enquired about the knife,” he said. “We were told they were trying to offer medical assistance.”

The court had heard that none of the three had any English and a Polish neighbour had been brought in to help translate as there are similarities between Polish and Slovakian.

Sgt Hyland said all three were soon taken to Blanchardstown garda station so that the scene could be preserved and Slovakian interpreters provided. They were interviewed separately around the same time.

Mr Szabo told Sgt Hyland in his interview that he was on his computer in his bedroom when Mr Kwiatkowski began pushing in the door.

“I wanted him to leave the room,” he said. “I pushed back hard and it hit him. It was a case of who was stronger.”

He said he had asked his flatmates to knock on the door before entering but they usually did not. Mr Kwiatkowski had a habit of walking in when drunk, he said.

Mr Szabo said that he had returned to his computer when he heard shouting. He opened his door and saw the victim lying down, vomiting. “Ladislav and I started first aid,” he said.

Mr Szabo said he noticed that Mr Kwiatkowski’s throat was blocked and tried to open his mouth to clear the blockage. There was blood coming out of his mouth and Mr Szabo got sick.

“I don’t have first aid experience. I was just doing what Ladislav told me,” he said.

He said that he went into his bedroom to phone a friend with English who might call an ambulance.

“I was no nervous I couldn’t even dial properly,” he said.

The sergeant said that when he arrested Mr Szabo for the murder at 4.13 the following morning, the accused replied: “It’s not true.”

Garda Christopher O’Shaughnessy said that Ms Kocokova told him that Mr Kwiatkowski had come home drunk that evening and had begun pushing people in the apartment.

The trial, which is now entering its sixth day, continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of three women and nine men.