A POSTMORTEM on the body of a man revealed that he had been stabbed 12 times in the back, the trial of two brothers charged with the man’s murder has heard.
Michael Durack SC, prosecuting, told the jury on the first day of the trial of Gerard O’Riordan (28) and Shane O’Riordan (19) that it was the State’s contention that Shane O’Riordan had stabbed James Brazier (30) and Gerard O’Riordan had struck him about the body.
The brothers, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney, Co Kerry, deny the murder of Mr Brazier at Pinewood Estate, Killarney, on April 15th, 2007.
They were arraigned on the charge before Mr Justice Barry White yesterday at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
Opening the State’s case to the jury of nine men and three women, Mr Durack said Mr Brazier was discovered with the stab wounds in the bedroom of a 15- year-old girl he had met in Killarney on the afternoon of April 14th.
Mr Durack told the jury that they would hear evidence that the girl’s mother was awoken at her bungalow home at about 2am on April 15th, 2007, by a noise coming from her daughter’s bedroom. She got up to investigate.
The jury would hear evidence that the woman went into her daughter’s bedroom where she found her daughter in her underwear lying on the bed along with Mr Brazier, who was in his underwear, said Mr Durack.
“She will tell you that Shane O’Riordan stabbed Mr Brazier on his back and you will hear that a postmortem examination found that Mr Brazier had received 12 serious stab wounds to the back – all the stab wounds were to the back and that Shane did that,” said Mr Durack.
The jury would also hear evidence that Gerard O’Riordan had hauled Mr Brazier from the bed and that he had also suffered stamp injuries and had been struck with a metal-framed kitchen chair, said Mr Durack.
The woman knew both O’Riordans well as they lived just 10 minutes away from her house and she had known them both for several years, said Mr Durack.
He said that on the afternoon of April 14th, the girl had been in Killarney drinking in various pubs.
The two accused brothers were present and drink was being consumed when there was a discussion later about whom the girl had been with during the day, said Mr Durack.
He added that the jury would be satisfied by the end of the trial that they were both guilty of murdering Mr Brazier
The trial before Mr Justice White and the jury continues.