A man was stabbed four times in the head and six times in the neck with one of the stab wounds penetrating his brain and another a major artery, a murder trial at the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.
Assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, said one of the stab wounds to the head of Patrick Walsh (28) penetrating the skull and went 4cm into his brain while a stab wound in his neck penetrated a major artery.
Dr Bolster told the trial of Frank Cunningham that Mr Walsh also suffered a stab wound to the back and another to his front just beneath his armpit as well as another wound to his right hand which was consistent with the man trying to defend himself.
Cunningham (20), Bride Valley View, Fairhill, Cork, denies the murder and robbery of Mr Walsh at his home at Fairhill Drive, Cork, between 9.30pm on May 26th, 2004 and 5am on May 27th, 2004. Yesterday Dr Bolster said that at least two weapons, a knife with a serrated edge and a scissors were used in the attack on Mr Walsh who suffered wounds consistent with him being in bed at the time.
Dr Bolster said two pillows on Mr Walsh's bed were soaked with a large quantity of blood when he was found there at 5am on May 27th, 2004 by his brother, Thomas, who had gone to check on him after his mother thought she heard him call out.
"Quite a significant amount of force was used. The cause of death was haemorrhage and shock due to multiple stab wounds," Dr Bolster told the second day of Mr Cunningham's trial which is being held in Cork.
Earlier when opening the State's case, Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, told the jury of seven men and five women he would be submitting that the motive for the murder was robbery.
The jury also heard evidence from Mr Cunningham's girlfriend at the time, Laura Heaphy. She said Mr Cunningham rang her on May 27th, 2004, saying he and others had gone to the house for money and had never meant to kill Mr Walsh. The trial continues today.
