Two Limerick brothers murdered their sister's violent boyfriend when they came to her aid, a State counsel alleged yesterday as he opened a murder trial before a jury in the Central Criminal Court.
The prosecution alleges the brothers were part of a common design to kill or cause serious injury to their sister's boyfriend, who had regularly beaten her prior to his death.
Mr John Murray (26), of Clarina Park, Ballinacurra-Weston, Limerick, and his brother, Mr Gerard Murray (19), of Garry glass Avenue, Ballinacurra-Weston, each pleaded not guilty to the murder of Edward Waters (19), formerly of Columcille Street, King's Island, Limerick, at a house in Clarina Park on December 1st 1997.
"Even though obviously only one of the two brothers inflicted the fatal stab wound . . . that is not the end of the matter," Mr John Edwards SC, prosecuting, said.
The jury heard that Mr Waters and Ms Sharon Murray had been in a relationship since she was 12 years old and they had two children together. The first was born when she was 17. The relationship, Mr Edwards said, "was characterised by a considerable degree of domestic violence".
Some time before the killing, Ms Murray and Mr Waters had succeeded in getting a corporation house together, "and having lived there for some short time, there was yet another bust up between the two". As a result, Ms Murray moved out.
Although Ms Murray was now living with her mother, she regularly returned to the Clarina Park house, where she kept her children's clothes and nappies. It was during one of these visits that the incident took place. Mr Edwards said Ms Murray's brother Gerard was already at the house with his girlfriend. As Sharon went to leave, she was alerted to her boyfriend, who was asleep on a concrete embankment at the side of the house. "The evidence will be that . . . Edward Waters grabbed Sharon Murray and tried to drag her back into the house," said Mr Edwards.
She "roared for help" and her brothers "came to her aid". During the struggle, Edward Waters was stabbed with a knife.
Ms Murray, who was 20 at the time her boyfriend died, told the court their relationship was "grand" until the birth of her son.
"He'd often hit me around the head." The beatings would normally take place "on the streets", she said.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Kinlen and the jury.