Kieran Keane, the Limerick man shot dead last January, died from a single gunshot wound to the head fired at close range, the deputy State pathologist told the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Dr Marie Cassidy said she carried out a post-mortem on the body of Kieran Keane on January 30th last and found the deceased man had sustained a gunshot wound to the head. The deceased also had six knife wounds around the left ear, which Dr Cassidy described as "torture-type wounds".
Questioned by Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, the deputy State pathologist said she visited the scene at Drombana, Limerick, and found Mr Keane lying face down. "His hands were tied behind his back" and he was bleeding from a wound to the head.
Dr Cassidy said she noted heavy blood-staining around the neck of the deceased's clothing and there was no indication that he had been upright for any length of time. This suggested the victim could have been in a sitting or kneeling position when he was shot. Depending on the position of the head, the gunman could have been above the victim when he was shot, she said.
Dr Cassidy told the jury that Mr Keane sustained six stab wounds to the left side of the head; three in front of the left ear and three behind. All six were "shallow" wounds "associated with soft tissue damage only".
Dr Cassidy told the jury that the stab wounds "occurred at or about the time of death" but she could not say conclusively whether they were inflicted before or after death.
Five men have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Kieran Keane.
The trial continues at Cloverhill Courthouse today.