A YOUNG Cavan man accused of murdering his father “wanted to take money from him to buy a car”, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Séamus Fitzgerald (21) has pleaded not guilty to murdering his father, James Fitzgerald, in Lisgar, Baileborough, Co Cavan, on January 8th, 2006.
Alex Owens SC opened the prosecution case. He told the jury of seven women and five men that the accused had a “somewhat difficult relationship with his parents” and had “difficulties at school”. He said that the deceased was a shopkeeper, married with three children, including the accused.
Mr Owens said Séamus Fitzgerald was living with his parents at the time of the alleged murder. He said James Fitzgerald returned home from his shop on the evening of January 7th and had the shop’s takings with him, which amounted to €4,000.
Mr Owens told the jury it will hear evidence that Séamus Fitzgerald had “earlier wanted to purchase a car and was looking for money from his sister”.
The prosecution will suggest that the motive for the alleged murder was that Séamus Fitzgerald “wanted to take money from his father to get the motorcar he wanted to purchase”.
Mr Owens told the jury that James Fitzgerald was in the kitchen watching television and that Séamus Fitzgerald was in the sitting-room. He was watching the film Goodfellas and drinking beer – four cans up until midnight.
The jury will hear evidence that Séamus Fitzgerald “decided during the evening that he wanted to kill his father”. They will also hear evidence that, as soon as his mother went to bed, Séamus Fitzgerald went into the kitchen, where his father was asleep, sitting upright in a chair.
Mr Owens told the jury that Séamus Fitzgerald then “cut the flex off a telephone and came behind his father and strangled him with the flex”.
He said that the accused then “decided to move the body, dragging it from the kitchen through the hallway into his bedroom, where he attempted unsuccessfully to take it out the back window”.
The jury will hear that Séamus Fitzgerald then “dragged the body back into the hall and then set upon the deceased, proceeded to stab him and tried to hammer a ring off his finger”. Mr Owens said there will be evidence the accused left the house with his passport for Navan, Co Meath.