A DUBLIN man directed gardaí to a buried bloodstained sweatshirt that contained DNA matching that of the man he is accused of murdering, a jury has heard.
Wayne Kinsella (40), of The Plaza, Tyrrelstown, Blanchardstown, Dublin, but originally from Finglas, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Adel Essalhi (31), in the fields behind the Plaza on January 6th, 2011.
In his opening address to the jury, senior counsel Alex Owens, for the State, said it was the prosecution case that Wayne Kinsella and a relative had lured Mr Essalhi to a field behind the Plaza apartments and murdered him after they “got it into their heads” he was involved in the death of Wayne Kinsella’s brother, Lee.
The court heard yesterday that the accused man, having been asked by gardaí for information about missing man Jason O’Dea, gave them directions to where he said the body of a missing person had been dumped in Tyrrelstown.
Giving evidence on the second morning of the trial, Sgt Ann Ellis said on January 13th, 2011, she walked with the accused up to a balcony on the Plaza apartments after he told her: “Walk with me and I’ll point to where the body is.”
Sgt Ellis agreed with Mr Owens that Mr Kinsella then pointed out a distant cornfield and said: “The body is to the left of there in a woody area, a wood; I think it’s a bit burned, that’s what I was told anyway.”
She said she later rejoined the search of the cornfield and at 3:15pm located what appeared to be the body of a man submerged in a drain. A knife sheath was found in the immediate area of the body.
Sgt James Cussen told Mr Owens that, during a search behind the Plaza on January 15th, 2011, he used a slash-hook to dig under rocks pointed out by Mr Kinsella. Sgt Cussen said he dug up a white top that appeared to have been stained and burned. He told the court the accused man was asked about the clothing and told gardaí it belonged to the deceased.
Sgt Cussen told the court his colleague Garda Stephen Foley uncovered a large metal knife with a wooden handle about 100 yards from where the body was found. He agreed with senior counsel for the defence, Michael O’Higgins, that without the help of the accused, gardaí would not have found the top.
Forensic scientist Dr Hilary Clarke told Mr Owens that on January 17th, 2011, she examined the bloodstains on the hooded sweatshirt. She said a DNA profile obtained from it matched the DNA profile of Mr Essalhi.
The trial continues brgptr Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and a jury of seven women and five men.