An Accident and Emergency surgeon has told a jury in the trial of a teenager accused of murder that school boy Alan Higgins suffered three heart attacks before he died after he was allegedly attacked two years ago.
Dr Adrian Ireland said 17-year-old Alan Higgins "lost a huge volume of blood, he was unable to clot and there was blood oozing from every cut".
The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denies murdering Mr Higgins (17) of Carraroe Avenue in The Donaghies, Donaghmede on October 13th 2002 outside a cinema on Dublin's north side.
The accused also denies robbing the victim's mobile phone and a sum of cash on 12 October 2002. A tearful Dr Ireland told the jury that Mr Higgins "went into cardiac arrest in the ambulance" on his way to Beaumont Hospital.
The A&E surgeon said he was attempting to remove part of Mr Higgins lung when he had his third heart attack. Dr Ireland and his team attempted to resuscitate Mr Higgins in the operating theatre but these attempts failed.
The 17-year-old school boy was pronounced dead at 3.10 a.m. on October 13th 2002 by Dr Ireland, the court heard. Yesterday Garda Enda Dwyer presented the heavily blood stained clothes of Mr Higgins to the jury.
18-year-old Ciaran Delaney from Swords told the jury that he was allegedly attacked by three youths on the night Mr Higgins was murdered. As Mr Delaney and two of his friends were going towards Burger King in the UCI Omniplex, three teenage boys allegedly robbed him of his school bag.
Yesterday 18-year-old Adam McDermott told the jury he was also allegedly attacked by three youths, on the night Mr Higgins lost his life. Mr McDermott along with eight friends were in the vicinity of UCI complex in Coolock on the night in question. Mr McDermott claims three boys approached him and threatened him with a knife.