THE TRIAL of a man for the murder of David Sharkey, whose body was discovered in the boot of his own car, yesterday featured CCTV footage of the dead man’s last moments.
Stephen Penrose (27) denies murdering Mr Sharkey (28) at an apartment at Parkview, Blackcastle, Navan, Co Meath, last May.
The body was found in the boot of Mr Sharkey’s silver BMW at Dunsink Lane, Finglas, Dublin, by gardaí who had been patrolling the area.
Mr Penrose, of no fixed abode, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but the Director of Public Prosecutions has rejected the plea.
On the CCTV footage, Mr Penrose is seen arriving at Parkview, Navan, in his BMW just before 8.30pm on May 17th and entering an apartment there.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Sharkey had been contacted on behalf of Mr Penrose, who was addicted to heroin, and was to arrive with one ounce of a controlled drug.
Paul Green, for the prosecution, told the jury that a row broke out between Mr Penrose and Mr Sharkey, during which Mr Penrose produced a knife and stabbed Mr Sharkey.
The CCTV footage shows Mr Penrose leaving the apartment at Parkview about 10 minutes after Mr Sharkey had arrived there. He is then seen reversing the BMW right up to the door of the flat.
An object is seen being placed into the boot. Garda Ann-Marie O’Farrell told to the jury that it was a heavy object, as the car suspension is visibly pushed downwards in the footage.
Mr Penrose then gets into the driver’s side and the car moves out of the camera’s view.
The trial resumes this morning before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of six men and six women.