One of three men accused of murder "danced" and "jumped" on the head of a man, saying "ha ha ha, this is carnage boys, this is deadly", a murder trial jury at the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Mr Brian Willoughby (23), Orwell Park, Templeogue, and another man made the admissions in statements to gardaí, the court was told. The two and another young man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, deny the murder of Mr Brian Mulvaney (19), Woodlawn Park Avenue, Dublin.
Mr Mulvaney was found unconscious and semi-naked on March 11th, 2000, at the Watercourse, Templeogue. He had sustained a vicious beating and died shortly afterwards in Tallaght Hospital.
Sgt Terry Brennan told Mr Edwards SC, prosecuting, that when first interviewed Mr Willoughby denied attacking Mr Mulvaney.
However, Mr Willoughby's parents visited him shortly afterwards and his mother urged him to tell the truth. Shortly afterwards he told gardaí: "Rejoice, rejoice, I did it lads, take your statement."
In his statement, Mr Willoughby said he did not know Mr Mulvaney. He had met him at a party in Templeogue and they walked to the shop together to get cigarette papers. He met his two co-accused and asked them to give Mr Mulvaney a "hiding" with him. One of the co-accused told gardaí Mr Willoughby said: "Will you get him for me, he's a queer from Knocklyon."
Mr Willoughby said he "kicked and digged" Mr Mulvaney and when he tried to escape the three chased him. "I was swinging out of him, and his top came off.
"I kept dancing on his head while he was on the ground, kept kicking and jumping on his head for around two minutes. This has been one big f . . .-up, the hiding went seriously wrong."
In a further statement witnessed by his mother, he continued: "I was using my fists and feet, I was kicking and jumping on his head, I kept kicking and kicking, I just kept kicking and kicking and jumping on his head."
He told gardaí he was sorry for what had happened and that he did not mean to kill Mr Mulvaney.
The court has already heard Mr Willoughby suffered brain damage as a result of an accident some years earlier. He has been prescribed anti-psychotic medication and he told gardaí that, although he was not meant to, he smoked hash and drank alcohol on the night of the assault.
A co-accused, who was 15 at the time, admitted to gardaí he was "looking for trouble" on the night and said he had drunk 10 pints of lager and some sambuca.
The trial continues today.