A Clonmel man pleaded not guilty yesterday to the murder of another man found dead in a field next to a psychiatric unit in the town in the summer of 1996.Mr Anthony Buck (23), of Garrymore, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, is accused of the murder of Mr David Nugent (22), of Highfield Grove, Clonmel, in the grounds of St Joseph's Hospital, Cooleens, Clonmel, between 11 p.m. on July 8th and 1 p.m. on July 9th, 1996.In the Central Criminal Court yesterday Mr Buck also pleaded not guilty to robbing Mr Nugent of £750 in cash, a wallet valued at £5, a pair of Nike runners valued at £55, a baseball cap valued at £5, and a leather belt worth £10 on the same dates.A jury of six women and six men were sworn in to try Mr Buck, who is being defended by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC.Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Patrick McCarthy SC said Mr Nugent was a young, unemployed man who had lived in Clonmel all his life. On the night of July 8th, 1996, he told friends he was going to a meeting and would be back in half-an-hour.The following day Mr Nugent was found dead in a field in the grounds of St Michael's psychiatric unit, part of St Joseph's Hospital in Clonmel.His body was found lying face down in grass just inside the boundary wall of St Michael's grounds. His hands were bound behind his back with a white shoelace. Both his ankles were bound together with a similar lace.The seat of Mr Nugent's trousers was cut, and his pockets had been turned out. His feet were without shoes. He had been wearing a denim shirt which was split in eight places and was heavily blood-stained.Two of his friends would give evidence that he had in his possession that night "a substantial sum of money" which was missing when his body was found.Mr McCarthy said the State would call evidence which would show that Mr Buck met Mr Nugent in the hospital grounds on the night of the 8th and early hours of the 9th and that "during the course of that meeting Mr Buck stabbed Mr Nugent 12 times".It would also show that during his struggle with the deceased, Mr Buck took up a very large stone and dropped it on Mr Nugent's head. A stone was later removed from the scene by gardai with what appeared to be blood and hair on it.The location where Mr Nugent's body was found "was crudely dug up in an effort to conceal evidence", the prosecution counsel said. A witness would say he saw Mr Buck re-enter the grounds of the hospital in the early hours of July 9th carrying a fork."There can be no doubt but that this was a savage attack," Mr McCarthy said, and the State's case was that Mr Buck robbed and murdered the dead man. The prosecution case continues today.