A stolen bag of cannabis led to a man being beaten to death before his killers wrapped up his body and dumped it in a wooded area in Co Meath, a prosecution barrister has told a jury at the Central Criminal Court.
Eoin Lawlor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the State’s case is that 23-year-old Viorel Doroscan and 24-year-old Otniel Richardo Clejan murdered Mahamud Ilyas (22) on December 9th, 2022. The prosecution also alleges that Robert Burns (59) and Lorenzo Cantaragiu (21) impeded the apprehension or prosecution of Mr Clejan and Mr Doroscan by committing various acts on the same date.
The accused deny all the charges.
Mr Lawlor said the prosecution intends to show that Mr Doroscan, Mr Clejan and Mr Burns were involved in the sale and supply of drugs. On December 8th, 2022, counsel said, Mr Burns’s home at Verdemont in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15 was being used to store cannabis. That evening Mr Ilyas called to Mr Burns’s home and was seen leaving carrying a shopping bag containing cannabis. Mr Lawlor said Mr Ilyas “wasn’t supposed to” take the cannabis and then tried to sell it to others.
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The following afternoon, Mr Lawlor said Mr Doroscan made contact with Mr Ilyas and told him he wished to speak to him urgently. Mr Ilyas went into the house at Verdemont at about 2.41pm.
Mr Lawlor said another man, who will be a witness in the trial, was outside and heard noises that caused him to enter the house. Counsel told the jury they will hear what this man saw in the livingroom of the house, including: “The violence done to Mr Ilyas in his presence and what was said to Mr Ilyas and the connection to the drugs taken from Mr Burns’s house the previous day.”
At about 3.20pm that afternoon, counsel said Mr Clejan contacted Lorenzo Cantaragiu who arrived in a car at Verdemont with another man. Mr Lawlor said this man saw Mr Doroscan and Mr Clejan carrying Mr Ilyas, who had been wrapped in something, from the house and into the car driven by Mr Cantaragiu.
It is alleged that Mr Cantaragiu then drove Mr Doroscan, Mr Clejan and the deceased to Belgree Lane in Meath where Mr Ilyas was carried to a wooded area.
Mr Cantaragiu, it is alleged, then drove to a garage where he cleaned the BMW and ultimately sold it on.
Gardaí were notified the next day of a body at Belgree Lane and began an investigation. A pathologist report found that Mr Ilyas suffered blunt force trauma to the head that caused traumatic brain injury. Mr Lawlor said the prosecution relies on CCTV footage, phone records, forensic evidence and statements given by the accused men to gardaí.
He said the allegation against Mr Clejan, with a former address at Verdemont, and Mr Doroscan of Bay Meadow Square, Hollystown, Dublin 15, is that they engaged in a joint enterprise to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Ilyas at Verdemont and that they are both guilty of murder. They pleaded not guilty today.
Mr Burns is charged with six counts of impeding the prosecution or apprehension of Mr Clejan and Mr Doroscan, by committing various acts while knowing or believing them to have committed the offence of causing serious harm to Mr Ilyas. It is alleged that Mr Burns tied the hands and feet of Mr Ilyas, that he carried Mr Ilyas and that he cleaned the house where the assault happened. He pleaded not guilty to each charge.
Mr Cantaragiu of Castlegrange Park, Blanchardstown faces four charges of impeding the apprehension or prosecution of the two principal offenders, knowing or believing them to have caused serious harm to Mr Ilyas. It is alleged that he drove the two murder accused and the deceased to Belgree Lane and that he cleaned the car in which they travelled. He also pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The trial continues on Thursday before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.
