A MAN has gone on trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for allegedly killing a fellow countryman in a row after they spent the day drinking and playing chess.
Rimantas Padimanskis (44) from Lithuania and with an address at Lios Cian, Swords, Co Dublin, pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Darijus Onusaitis on November 15th, 2005, by stabbing him after he invited him back to his home when they met in an off-licence. Tara Burns, prosecuting, said the accused's girlfriend, Editha Vakietalyte, found Mr Onusaitis on the floor.
An ambulance was called but they were unable to find a pulse. Mr Onusaitis was pronounced dead at the Mater hospital the next day.
Ms Burns said an examination revealed he had died as a result of a single 8cm stab wound which went through his heart and perforated his liver.
Speaking through an interpreter, Ms Vakietalyte said Mr Padimanskis and a friend began drinking. She said they went to an off-licence when they ran out of alcohol. When they came home Mr Onusaitis was with them. They were all drinking vodka, and Mr Padimanskis and Mr Onusaitis began playing a Lithuanian version of chess.
They were all laughing as the accused kept beating Mr Onusaitis, who was getting upset. Marija Savickieve, a visitor to the house, said she was shocked at how drunk the men were. She agreed that she had told gardaí: "They were so drunk they could not see the chess board, never mind play chess."
The trial continues.