Murder victim Liam Murphy was an unfortunate man who should have been looked after by the authorities, a witness told the trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday.
David Bibby told Edward Comyn SC, prosecuting, that he saw the accused, Gregory Conway, struggling with Mr Murphy, before he cut his throat. "I seen Mr Conway pick up a piece of glass from the broken cupboard and the next thing I knew I got upstairs and his throat had been cut. There was blood spurting all over the walls.
"I was in the doorway of the bedroom and as I approached the doorway I was told that if I said anything or did anything to stop him I would be next."
Mr Conway (36), of no fixed abode, denies the murder in the deceased man's house in Dundalk, Co Louth, on June 15th or June 16th last year.
Mr Bibby said: "Liam was an unfortunate person. He should have been cared for by the authorities but they didn't want to know." He said on the day of the killing, he and Mr Murphy had been drinking most of the day with Mr Conway and another man Mr Conway had introduced as his cousin. Mr Murphy paid for all the drinks. At about 6pm the money ran out.
There was an argument about money so he persuaded Mr Conway and the fourth man to go with him to the supermarket where he stole a bottle of whiskey. "Gregory was very, very wired. There was something not right. Gregory thought Liam had hidden money somewhere so I decided to stop him by getting a bottle." Mr Bibby said once Mr Murphy had gone to bed the others started "creeping" around upstairs looking for a €10 note they thought was hidden in the house.
"They kept coming up and down saying if I don't find it I'm going to kill him. I told him he didn't have a €10 note and he said all right then let's take over the house and I said that's not going to happen." Mr Bibby said Mr Conway then went upstairs grabbing a piece of glass from the broken cabinet and attacked Mr Murphy.
He told Mr Comyn that he went to the body to try to find a pulse but then left the house with Mr Conway because he was afraid for his life. He said he accompanied Mr Conway to get clean clothes.
Mr Bibby said after Mr Conway had changed his clothes they went back to the squat where Mr Conway was staying. He waited until Mr Conway fell asleep and then crept out and alerted gardaí.
The trial continues on Monday.