A man found dead in the grounds of a Clonmel hospital in 1996 had been stabbed 12 times and suffered severe head injuries, a Central Criminal Court murder trial heard yesterday. State Pathologist Dr John Harbison said the victim died from either the stab wounds or from head injuries inflicted "possibly as a coup de grace, or final blow".
He was giving evidence at the trial of Mr Anthony Buck (23), of Garrymore, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr David Nugent (22), of Highfield Grove, Clonmel, in the grounds of St Joseph's Hospital between 11 p.m. on July 8th 1996 and 1 p.m. the following day. He also denies robbing Mr Nugent of cash and clothing valued at £825.
Dr Harbison told Mr Patrick McCarthy SC, prosecuting, he found 12 slits in the victim's denim shirt, which corresponded to the 12 stab wounds on the body. The wounds were very deep, Dr Harbison said, but because they did not penetrate the main arteries, death was not immediate.
The deceased man had also sustained severe injuries to the left side of his head, which came from at least one "considerable blow" applied with great force.
He had been bound at the hands and ankles with white shoelaces. Post-mortem results suggested the laces could have been put on or after death, "but certainly at a near bled-to-death stage".
A very small amount of alcohol and cannabis derivatives were found in the victim's urine. There was extensive scratching on his face and upper torso, suggesting his body had been dragged to its final position.
Dr Harbison told Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, it was "more likely" the victim had been stabbed before receiving the head injuries.
Mr Peter Daniels told the jury as he walked up Haywood Road on the night of July 8th he heard a commotion coming from behind a house that backs on to the hospital grounds.
"It was kind of a pleading screaming", he said. "I was 90 per cent sure it was a woman." He heard the voice say "no don't" and then there was silence. He then saw two men, Mr Francis Hawkins and Mr Lee Ahearne, further up the road.
Mr Ahearne said he was talking to Mr Hawkins - who appeared in the witness box on Tuesday - when they heard the screams. Besides screaming, he had also heard a thump, he said.
Mr Ahearne said when he looked over the wall bordering the hospital grounds he saw "a tall bloke in the field". The grass was high and it was dark so he did not recognise who it was, but he had "no doubt" the man was taller than his own height of 5ft 10ins.
Mr Ahearne said the next morning he went into the fields and found Mr Nugent's body. He told Mr Hawkins, who suggested they pretend they were going ratting with their dogs and that they found the body "by accident".
Ms Helen Wall, who lives in a house overlooking the fields, said she had told the gardai that sometime after 12:10 a.m. on July 9th, she heard screams. When she looked out her bedroom window she saw three people in the fields who "seemed to be arguing with someone sitting in the grass".
She was convinced one was a girl. This person had their hands behind their back and seemed to be fixing their clothes. "I thought it was maybe a girl after being raped," Ms Wall said.
A friend of the dead man told the court he had last seen Mr Nugent at around 11 p.m. on July 8th. Mr Stefan Cohn said that earlier he had gone up to the railway tracks to find Mr Nugent as he wanted to see if he had any cannabis. When they met, Mr Nugent said he was going to meet someone and showed him a wallet "full of £20 notes".
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Quirke and a jury.