A man who was stabbed through the heart last New Year's Eve during a house party in Tralee had about "one line of cocaine" in his system as well as alcohol, the Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Anne Bolster told the Central Criminal Court in Tralee yesterday.
Dr Bolster said ingesting cocaine had more "severe" effects on behaviour and on the body, but it was more likely the man had snorted it. She also gave evidence of the possible effects of cocaine and alcohol combined.
Ailbe Lonergan (31), Quill Street, Tralee, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his brother, Michael Lonergan (34), a father of five, at his home at Baloonagh Estate, Tralee, on December 31st, 2006.
On the fifth day of the murder trial presided over by Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy, Dr Bolster told the jury of nine men and three women how she had carried out a postmortem on the body of Mr Lonergan on the morning of January 1st, 2007.
She had found 20 fresh bruises on the limbs and body as well as incisive marks on the hands. The incisions were consistent with defence injuries, she told Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, for the prosecution.
She also found three stab wounds, including two to the chest. One of the stab wounds was 9cm deep and had penetrated the lung and valve and chamber of the heart. The dead man had lost three litres of blood.
Mr Lonergan had died from haemorrhage and shock arising from the fatal stab wound, she concluded.
She was unable to say what type of knife was used as surgery had linked the two wounds. She agreed with Anthony Sammon SC for the defence that it was "certainly" possible more than one knife was used.
Blood and fluid samples had tested positive for cocaine and he had a blood-alcohol reading of 163 mgs. Citing a scientific study from a French university, Dr Bolster said alcohol and cocaine were each related to aggressive and violent behaviour. Individuals varied in their reaction to drugs. The most important parameter was "dosage and mode of administration". Dr Bolster said.
Cross-examined by Mr Sammon, Dr Bolster said alcohol was drunk but "cocaine can be taken in lots of different ways." It could be snorted, ingested or taken intravenously. The effects of ingesting (eating) cocaine were more severe both on the body and on behaviour, she replied.
She was unable to determine the mode of administration - she had found no traces of the powder in Mr Lonergan's stomach.
Cocaine and alcohol formed a substance, cocaethylene, for which the State laboratory did not measure, she said. This had a greater physiological effect and cocaine and alcohol taken together were more dangerous from the point of view of causing death. Some scientific papers said cocaethylene heightened aggression.
A number of witnessed last week denied seeing Mr Lonergan take cocaine.
The trial continues and the jury has been asked to bring an overnight bag.