A murder trial witness told the Central Criminal Court that a man had "prodded" his uncle in the neck with the top of a broken whiskey bottle after a row with him about signing over his land in Connemara.
The man's nephew, Mr Patrick Joseph (P.J.) McGreene (29), with addresses at Corrib Park and St Mary's Road, Galway, has denied the murder of his uncle, Mr Tom Clisham (53), between November 24th, 1997 and December 4th, 1997 at Inveran, Co Galway.
He has also pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his uncle.
Speaking in Irish, Mr Michael Folan, otherwise known as Mike Bhid, told Mr Michael Durack SC, prosecuting, that on November 24th, 1997 he was drinking in a pub in Eyre Square, Galway. He drank four to five pints. The accused was seated behind him and he had a few drinks with him.
Mr McGreene told him he had been in Amsterdam and would like to see his uncle again. "He was saying that Tom would have to sign the house and land over to him," Mr Folan said.
They drank for a few hours and then left the pub together, taking a taxi to Inveran and then walking down the side road to Mr Clisham's cottage.
When they got there, Mr Clisham was asleep, but he woke up at his nephew's knocking and they sat drinking a bottle of whiskey which Mr Folan had brought with him. When it was finished, Mr Clisham and his nephew went out for cigarettes and more whiskey, and they began drinking again on their return.
When the bottle of whiskey was finished, "McGreene started saying to Clisham to sign over to him and Tom said he wasn't going to sign over to anyone".
Mr McGreene then stood up on a chair, tore down a holy picture from the wall and threw it out on the roadside. "When McGreene came in after having broken the picture, Tom got kind of upset."
They were arguing over the house, he said, and Mr Clisham said he was not going to sign it over to anyone.
Mr McGreene and Mr Clisham grabbed each other. Then the accused "hit Tom off the table". The two whiskey bottles "hit off each other".
The witness said Mr McGreene caught the top of a broken whiskey bottle and "he gave Tom a prod up here", indicating the throat.
Mr Folan said he wanted to stop Mr McGreene but the accused hit him under his left eye with the left hand. "After that he gave Tom another prod, then another one, then another one."
Mr Clisham fell on the floor, the witness said. Earlier in court, Mr Morgan O Maille said he could not remember events between November 24th, 1997 and December 4th, 1997 that were put to him by counsel.
Mr O Maille, who also gave his evidence in Irish, said he knew Mr Clisham, but not well. He had bought a bullock and a heifer from him seven years previously.
Mr John Rogers SC, defending, put it to him that he had told gardai he had bought the cattle two years previously. The gardai "must be" wrong, Mr O Maille replied.
The trial before Mr Justice Cyril Kelly and a jury continues.