A 19-year-old Limerick man was stabbed by his girlfriend's two brothers when they came to her rescue during an argument two years ago, a jury heard yesterday.
Witnesses said the victim had a knife in his hand at the time. his girlfriend said she feared for her life and her brother claimed that were it not for his presence, she would have been killed.
Mr John Murray (26) of Clarina Park, Ballinacurra-Weston, Limerick, and his brother, Mr Gerard Murray (19) of Garry glass Avenue, Ballinacurra-Weston, have each pleaded not guilty to the murder of Edward Waters (19), at Clarina Park on December 1st, 1997.
As the second day of prosecution evidence was heard in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday before Justice Kinlen, Ms Murray, who was 20 at the time, told of violence against her and her children by Mr Waters. She had been in a relationship with Mr Waters since she was 12 years old and they had two children.
Ms Murray said Mr Waters had spent time in prison and regularly took ecstasy and cannabis. Weeks before the killing, she had broken off their relationship and they were living separately.
Det Sgt Denis Treacy said that Mr Gerard Murray told gardai that when he locked himself and Ms Murray into the house, Mr Waters kicked the door and was banging his head off it. When Mr Waters went around the back of the house, Gerard Murray went out the front and ran over to get his brother John.
"John got a hatchet and we both ran back," he said. "Edward was in the back garden roaring up at Sharon. We asked him loads of times to go away."
When he didn't move, John hit the hatchet off the wall and it broke in two, he said. Then Mr Waters grabbed Ms Murray, who had come outside, and as he was dragging her back, he tripped and they fell in the back door.
Mr Gerard Murray told gardai he saw his brother John struggling with Waters. "Then I could see a knife by Edward, in his hand," Gerard said. He then picked up a knife himself. "I had the knife in my hand and I gave Edward Walsh a slap in the jaw with it," he said. He then gave him "a few digs".