Family of Limerick man called gardaí after searching ground at derelict house, murder trial told

The trial of 32-year-old Kurt Ryan on the charge of murdering 25-year-old Lee Slattery in May 2010 is expected to last up to four weeks

The court was told that Lee Slattery from Moyross was 'a bit of a character, well-liked in the area'.

The family of a Limerick man shot twice in the chest at close range called gardaí when they saw a blue tracksuit under freshly dug ground at a local derelict house.

This outline of anticipated evidence was given on Tuesday when the trial of 32-year-old Kurt Ryan of Moylish Crescent, Limerick, on the charge of murdering 25-year-old Lee Slattery in May 2010, opened at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

Ms Justice Eileen Creedon is presiding over the trial before a jury of seven women and five men which is expected to last up to four weeks. Michael O’Higgins, senior counsel for the prosecution, gave the jury what he described as a roadmap of the evidence he expected they would hear, but told them that this outline was not itself evidence.

He said that Delmege House, known locally as the Dallies, was a once grand house from the 19th century on 80 acres with some outhouses that had fallen into dereliction. 

“It is not too difficult to imagine what it must have looked like in its heyday, or what it would look like in the small hours of the morning on the night of the murder. The last sighting of Lee Slattery on CCTV was around 2.20am. He is on foot and a couple of minutes’ walk (from the house).

“Close to the house in a very overgrown area he was shot twice at close range. The cause of death was gunshot wounds to the trunk, injuring his heart and lungs. There was blunt force trauma to his face, there were fractures to facial bones and skull… It would appear those blows may have been administered after he had been shot,” Mr O’Higgins said.

The prosecution senior counsel said the 25-year-old from Moyross was “a bit of a character, well-liked in the area. He was a drug-dealer, selling drugs to support his drug habit. Kurt Ryan, who was 17, also sold drugs.” 

He said the bulk of the evidence would come from a time frame from Thursday, May 27, 2010 until about 5am the following morning. He went through some of the CCTV and witness evidence that would deal with the movements of the deceased, the accused and other relevant parties. 

He said the Slattery family became concerned when the deceased did not come home on the night of May 27, 2010. 

He said that as their concerns grew, Kurt Ryan called to Lee Slattery’s home and said Lee owed him €80 for ‘weed’ and that he was a bit concerned he didn’t see him around. Mr O’Higgins said that when the jury hear that evidence they could consider its relevance.

“On May 31, the Slattery family were on the grounds of Delmege House searching. They came across freshly dug grass. They poked around that area with sticks and they noticed a blue-coloured tracksuit similar to the one Lee was wearing when he went missing. 

"They called the gardaí. They sealed the area off and more searches were carried out. In one of the outhouses they found a particular pistol… It was established that it was used to shoot Lee Slattery,” Mr O’Higgins said.

He said that when Kurt Ryan was interviewed by gardaí he denied any involvement in the murder.

Mr O’Higgins said there was “no great reveal” in the prosecution but that when all of the evidence was given they would be satisfied on the circumstantial evidence that he did the act alleged against him. The trial continues.