This article is from page 12 of the 2006-05-16 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
THE trial of a man accused of murdering Ennis native Fergal Landy outside his Killarney apartment has heard the deceased received two stab wounds, one of which was through the heart, and proved fatal.
Mr Landy (27), a native of Considine’s Road, Cloughleigh, Ennis, had lived in Killarney for some time prior to his death, in January of last year. He had worked as a chef in the tourist town and had been friends with the accused.
Joe Greaney (35), a native of Limerick, and with an address at Cahernane Meadows, Muckross Road, Killarney, denies murdering Landy, but admits manslaughter.
Outlining the Prosecution case to the jury at the outset of the trial, Senior Counsel Patrick McCarthy said the accused arrived at the deceased’s house – a short distance away – armed with a knife and a golf club and was “spoiling for a fight.”
“It appears that Mr Greaney contacted Mr Landy a short time before the fatal death,” said Mr McCarthy.
He said the initial contact was through a text message, and this was followed by a telephone conversation between the accused and the deceased.
“The telephone conversation was overheard on speaker phone by Mr Landy’s partner. A number of threats were made by the accused to the deceased,” he said.
Mr McCarthy said the accused had asserted that he was “coming to get” Mr Landy.
“He shouted, ‘Come out. I’m going to kill you’,” said Mr McCarthy.
According to Mr McCarthy, the accused said, ‘You are so dead,’ and ‘Come out you f***** or b******’.”
“We would say he [Greaney] was the aggressor,” said Mr McCarthy.
“The deceased came out of his home with a golf club. It was clear in the light of what was said, the accused was the aggressor. A person faced with a violent attack is entitled to defend himself. He took something with him to defend himself,” he added.
Mr McCarthy said, it’s the Prosecution’s case that, taking into account what was said by phone and text and the accused’s visit to the deceased’s home, the accused presented a “hostile” environment. He said that violence was committed on the deceased before midnight on January 24, but that he was not pronounced dead until after midnight on January 25.
Mr McCarthy said the fatal wound entered the chest cavity sack around the heart and went through to the heart. He said the weapon “has been described as a chef’s knife.” The wound was 12.2 centimetres deep and the knife was more than 29 centimetres long. Mr Landy sustained several other minor knife wounds.
The trial continues this (Tuesday) morning and is due to conclude later this week.