A 24-year-old man told gardaí he killed a pensioner in his own home with an axe but said he couldn’t remember much of what had happened because he was under the influence of an intoxicant, his murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard.
The jury heard Kwok Ping Cheng (76) died as a result of “multiple traumatic injuries” including a fractured skull and arm, chop wounds, bruises and lacerations.
Oliver Doran, with an address at Sophia Housing, Cork Street, Dublin 8, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Cheng at Robinson’s Court, Cork Street, Dublin 8, on a date between April 28th and 29th, 2021.
Mr Cheng was originally from China but had lived for several years in a flat in Robinson’s Court.
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Opening the trial for the prosecution on Friday Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, told the jury of nine women and three men they will view CCTV footage of what the prosecution say are the relevant movements of Mr Doran in the hours leading up to Mr Cheng’s death.
Outlining the facts of the case, Ms Lawlor said Mr Cheng had family in Ireland. She said he was known to friends as Chinese George and lived in sheltered accommodation at Robinson’s Court.
The case against Mr Doran, counsel said, is that he murdered Mr Cheng, killing him with an axe and leaving him to bleed on the floor of his home causing his death sometime between April 28 and 29, 2021.
Ms Lawlor said Mr Doran was interviewed by gardaí following the pensioner’s death and the jury will hear evidence that the accused told investigating officers he killed Mr Cheng with the axe he had brought from his own home.
“He indicates that he doesn’t remember a lot of what occurred because he had taken an intoxicant,” she added.
Ms Lawlor said the jury will also hear that Mr Doran accepts he caused the death of Mr Cheng with an axe he took from his own home, that he fled the next day and that he initially went to Northern Ireland and then to England.
She told the jury evidence will be heard from pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers who will say that Mr Cheng died as a result of multiple traumatic injuries, including chop wounds, bruises and lacerations.
Counsel told the jury that murder involves two elements, causing the death of a person and intending to do that or intending to cause them harm.
“This is a case where you’ll be called upon to decide if a case of murder is laid out. You have to assess whether the person accused caused the death, whether he intended to cause death or to cause serious injury,” she said.
“This isn’t a case where someone was struck by a plastic bottle, the inevitable outcome of striking someone multiple times with an axe is to cause death or serious injury.”
Ms Lawlor said the jury must also determine that if a person is voluntarily intoxicated what bearing, if any, it has on whether the prosecution has established intent.
The trial continues on Friday afternoon before Mr Justice David Keane.