Dublin man goes on trial accused of ‘love triangle’ murder

A 40-year-old Dublin man has gone on trial charged with murdering another man in what a court heard was a ‘ love triangle’.

Keith Connorton is charged with stabbing Graham McKeever to death when he came to the aid of the accused's former partner.

Mr Connorton, of Deerpark Avenue in Tallaght was arraigned before the Central Criminal Court on Monday morning, charged with murdering Mr McKeever (29) at an apartment there on February 18th, 2017.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge.

A jury of nine men and three women was sworn in to hear the trial and Brendan Grehan SC opened the case on behalf of the prosecution.

He said that there was one other person present when Mr McKeever was killed, namely the mother of Mr Connorton’s child.

Claire McGrath had been in a relationship with the accused for three years, and they had been living in the apartment on Deerpark Avenue.

It is the prosecution’s case that she had effectively broken up with Mr Connorton about six months before this offence. This was because she believed that the accused was unable to kick his drug habit.

She began seeing the deceased.

“So you are dealing with somewhat of a love triangle, if I can put it that way,” said Mr Grehan.

“Mr McKeever was invited to stay over at her apartment on the night,” he explained.

He said that the deceased was in bed there when, sometime before 4.30am, Ms McGrath heard a noise.

“She got up to investigate and discovered Mr Connorton was in the apartment. It appears he had a key,” he continued.

“The prosecution case is that Mr Connorton became aware that Mr McKeever was in the apartment and Ms McGrath was, in effect, being threatened by Mr Connorton, who had armed himself with a knife from the kitchen,” he said. “When Mr McKeever came to her aid, he ended up getting fatally stabbed in the chest.”

The barrister also told the jury that he had been stabbed a number of times, ‘significantly’, in the back. Mr Grehan also understood that the accused would be asserting self defence.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt.