Murder accused was 'spaced out' on night of killing, says father

The father of a man on trial for murdering another man whose body was discovered in the boot of his own car, has told the Central Criminal Court that his son rang him asking for a lift on the night of the killing.

Paul Penrose was giving evidence in the trial of his son, Stephen Penrose, who denies murdering David Sharkey at an apartment in Parkview, Blackcastle, Navan Co Meath in May of last year.

The 28-year-old's body was discovered in the boot of his silver BMW at Dunsink Lane, Finglas in North Dublin by Gardaí who were patrolling the area.

He had sustained ten stab wounds, the deepest of which was 13 and a half centimeters. The knife had penetrated his heart, liver, stomach and spleen.

The 27-year-old accused, of no fixed abode, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the DPP has rejected the plea and the murder trial is progressing in front of a jury of six men and six women.

Mr Penrose Snr described his son as having a “very serious” substance abuse problem at the time of the killing. He said he had been living out of the family home for about six years, and living rough a lot of the time.

Mr Penrose Snr said his son would contact him by phone from time to time, but would not contact the house. He said he always tried “to be there for him.”

On the night in question, he recalled his son ringing him at around 10.30pm on the evening of May 17, 2009, to ask for a lift from the Blanchardstown Shopping Centre as far as Navan.

He described his son as being “spaced out” and clearly on something, when he picked him up. He said he was “talking rubbish” and “rambling”.

Mr Penrose dropped his son off at an apartment in Parkview, where it's alleged the murder had taken place earlier that night.

The court was also shown CCTV footage of the last moments of David Sharkey's life.

The father of one was seen arriving at Parkview, Navan in his BMW just before 8.30pm on May 17, and entering an apartment there.

It's the prosecution's case that Mr Sharkey had been contacted on behalf of the accused, who was addicted to heroin, and was to show up with one ounce of a controlled drug.

Mr Paul Green SC, for the prosecution, told the jury that a row broke out between the accused and Mr Sharkey, during which Mr Penrose produced a knife and stabbed the deceased.

The CCTV footage showed the accused leaving the apartment at Parkview around ten minutes after Mr Sharkey had arrived there. He was then seen reversing the BMW right up to the door of the flat.

An object was seen being placed into the boot. Garda Ann-Marie O'Farrell explained to the jury that it was a heavy object, as the suspension in the car goes down visibly.

The accused then got into the driver's side and the car moved out of the camera's view.

Two Gardaí who were on patrol in Dunsink Lane that night discovered the BMW in a halting site and on searching the car, found the body in the boot. Mr Penrose was arrested two days later and brought to Navan Garda station where he confessed to the killing.

The trial resumes in the morning before Mr Justice Paul Carney.