A Dublin man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Adil Essalhi, who received more than 50 stab and chop wounds before his body was burnt and left in a ditch in west Dublin nearly five years ago.
Michael Kinsella (22), of Swiftbrook Close, Tallaght and Ardkeen, Cavan, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Essalhi (29) at Tyrellstown on January 6th, 2011. His uncle Wayne Kinsella was convicted of murdering Mr Essalhi in 2012.
Last week Kerida Naidoo SC prosecuting told the Central Criminal Court jury that it was the State’s case that the killing was carried out by two people.
Michael Kinsella on Thursday pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of unlawfully killing Mr Essalhi after a trial lasting five days.
Prosecution for the State told the court that the DPP would only accept the plea for manslaughter on condition Kinsella agreed he had assaulted Mr Essalhi with a weapon.
Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy told the court Kinsella would be sentenced “in due course.”
The court heard that the deceased met Wayne Kinsella and another person on January 6th, 2011 in a pub in central Dublin. “They all drank and retired to an apartment in Tyrrellstown where other people joined them,” said Mr Naidoo. “They continued drinking and they were (later) joined by the accused.”
Phone call
Witness Martina Deegan told the court there was a party in her apartment in Tyrrellstown that night and Wayne Kinsella, Mr Essalhi and the accused were present.
“Wayne woke up at one stage to a telephone call, it was about Ali having a nickname called ‘Fish’. They were trying to say Ali was the getaway driver of the Lee Kinsella murder in Finglas. Lee is Wayne’s brother,” said Ms Deegan.
The court heard Wayne and Michael Kinsella were then “hyper” and wanted to get out of the apartment. “They pretended they were bringing him (Mr Essalhi) to a party. Wayne was winking at me. They left, the three of them.”
After they left the party, Mr Essalhi was brought to a field outside the apartment complex where he received “in excess of 50” stab and chop wounds.
Mr Naidoo said that a weapon like a knife, and one like a machete were believed to have been used to inflict the injuries.
Ms Deegan said that when Wayne and Michael came back, they both got changed as Wayne was “covered in blood.”
The court heard the next day on January 7th, 2011, Wayne Kinsella came back to the apartment with “a big tin of petrol” and a “black bag.”
“Do you know anything about a large knife or a machete?” counsel asked Ms Deegan.
“It was my son’s machete. I took it off him and hid it in the bushes, out the back of my apartment. I told Wayne Kinsella when he first moved into the apartment to get rid of it,” she replied.