A 21-year-old co-accused of beating a man into a coma who nine months later died admitted to gardaí that himself and his friend "just beat him to death", a court heard yesterday.
Mr Paul Sheehan (21), The Glen, Cork, and Mr Ross Stapleton (21), also of The Glen, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Christian Scully (28), Togher, Cork, on October 17th, 2002.
Mr Scully was on a life support machine after being set upon by youths at Sober Lane in the city centre in the early hours of January 28th, before he suffered a cardiac arrest nine months later and died on October 17th.
Yesterday Det Sgt John Quiltar told the jury on the fourth day of the murder trial that he arrested Mr Stapleton on January 30th, 2002, in relation with the serious assault of Mr Scully.
Ms Mary Ellen Ring, prosecuting, read out the statement that Mr Stapleton gave in the presence of Det Sgt Quiltar and Det Sgt Gerry Corbett.
Mr Stapleton told gardaí that himself and his friend had been drinking a cocktail of Red Bull, vodka, Heineken and Aftershock since 11 a.m. on January 27th at the Abbey pub in Fermoy.
After midnight Mr Stapleton and his friend went into Cork city where Mr Stapleton was to meet his girlfriend, Ms Valerie Walsh in the Temple nightclub.
"She was talking to some bloke who had his hand leaning over her. I told her to f..k off. I was mad with her. I was freaked out because my old doll wouldn't come near me," Mr Stapleton told gardaí when questioned.
After a fight with the bouncers at the nightclub, Mr Stapleton was ejected and his friend was waiting for him outside.
His friend was unable to get into the nightclub because he was wearing a tracksuit.
Once outside the nightclub sometime after 1.30 a.m., Mr Stapleton told gardaí that they saw "a fella standing up a bit from the doorway".
"I remember an argument taking place, but I'm not sure if I started the argument or my friend did. I didn't know him, (Mr Scully) I never met him before," Mr Stapleton said.
The jury of nine women and three men heard that Mr Stapleton admitted to the assault of Mr Scully when questioned, saying: "I feel good getting this off my chest; what's done is done, I can't do anything about it.
"We just beat him to death. We just kept beating him. We used our fists and legs", Mr Stapleton told gardaí.
"We just kept hitting him and beating him, hitting and beating him and standing on him.
"When we lifted him up his face was like a tap, there was blood everywhere", he said.
Mr Stapleton told gardaí that Mr Scully "put up resistance for 10 minutes, he was a strong bloke".
When Det Sgt Quiltar asked Mr Stapleton why he attacked Mr Scully, he said: "I don't know why, I just lost the head completely. Just tell him I'm sorry."
As Mr Scully lay on the ground, Mr Stapleton told gardaí that they "legged it to John Grace's restaurant on Cook Street.
As he ran, Mr Stapleton turned his blood- soaked jacket inside out to conceal the blood, the court heard.
Yesterday Dr Steven Doyle, a forensic scientist attached to the forensic laboratory at Garda Headquarters in the Phoenix Park, told the jury that the blood found on the boots belonging to Mr Stapleton was "consistent with Christian Scully's blood".
The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler.