The trial of two Dublin men accused of murder heard that gardaí found the victim dead on his sofa with 16 stab wounds and his feet were tied with a shoelace.
They are accused of the murder of Peter Mitchell (32), of Monasterboice Road, Crumlin, Dublin, at Monasterboice Road between October 17th-20th, 2003.
Mr Alan Keogh (32), of Wellmount Green, Finglas, Dublin, and Mr Gary McNevin (31), of no fixed abode but with an address at Glenhill Road, Finglas, Dublin, have pleaded not guilty.
At the Central Criminal Court Mr Brendan Grehan SC opened the prosecution's case against the two men. He told the jury of five women and seven men to "consider the case against both separately".
Outlining the facts in the case, Mr Grehan said that the deceased worked in a maintenance depot for Dublin City Council, and had three children with a partner, all of whom lived separately from Mr Mitchell.
On October 16th, the day before his death, Mr Mitchell was with his children in the afternoon and he brought them back to his partner's home at approximately 7.30 p.m.
That evening, the deceased went to a pub on Parnell Street, where the two accused, along with a woman, were also drinking. "At some point, they appeared to fall into the company of Peter Mitchell," Mr Grehan said. All four then went to an off-licence and took a taxi to the dead man's home in Crumlin in the early hours of October 17th.
Mr Grehan told the jury that they would hear evidence from neighbours who heard "noise and disturbances for a number of hours" until approximately 4.45 a.m. when three people were seen leaving Mr Mitchell's home. "Peter Mitchell did not leave the house," he added.
"You may conclude that Peter Mitchell, by the stage that these three people left the house, was either dead or fatally injured," he said.
Mr Grehan said a taxi driver would give evidence that he picked up two men and a woman around this time from Monasterboice Road, "one of whom had a crutch". Mr Grehan told the jury that Mr McNevin had suffered an injury to his leg and at times required a crutch.
"The man who got into the front of the taxi had blood on his clothing, particularly on his trousers and shoes," Mr Grehan said. The taxi driver received a tip and was told "you haven't seen me" or "you haven't seen us" after he dropped the woman and later the two men off. The court would hear that the accused men were seen burning clothes and Mr McNevin's crutch on a derelict ground on October 17th, he said.
Following a tip-off, gardaí arrived at the dead man's home on October 21st. The man on the sofa, identified later as Peter Mitchell, was sitting up fully-clothed and had no shoes on. "His legs were tied together with what appeared to be a lace from his shoes, which were found nearby," Mr Grehan said.
The body had a total of 16 stab wounds, six of which injured the heart, lungs and aorta.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Peart.