Witness denies alleged murder victim called accused 'scum'

The main witness in the trial of two brothers accused of murdering a neighbouring farmer, has denied that the dead man called one brother “scum” and told the other there was “bad breeding” in him.

The evidence was heard during cross-examination of John Dempsey, the central eye-witness and the brother of the dead man, Edward Dempsey (aged 49), who died ten months after the alleged assault on a Co Laois farm in December 2006.