A father accused of murdering his son started a row because his son got into bed fully-dressed after a family night out turned sour, a jury heard at the Central Criminal court yesterday.
"Tommy was saying 'get out of bed with your clothes on, don't get into bed with your clothes on'," the dead man's partner, Ms Kelly Richardson (23), told the jury. Ms Richardson was giving evidence at the trial of Mr Thomas Groome (47), accused of murdering his son, Mr Christopher Groome (19), in a caravan at Edenderry, Co Offaly, on November 15th, 1999. Originally from Barnsley, south Yorkshire, she wrung her hands as she recalled the death of her partner. The couple had moved into Mr Thomas Groome's caravan two weeks beforehand with their eight-month-old baby.
The night of his death, Mr Christopher Groome and Ms Richardson went out to help the accused with a Karaoke job in a local bar. Afterwards they visited a nightclub, before returning to the caravan at 3 a.m. The row began when the deceased got into the double bed fully-dressed.
"Thomas were hitting Christopher and Christopher were hitting Thomas. Thomas grabbed Christopher in a head-lock on the bed," said Ms Richardson. "Thomas pulled Christopher off the bed. Thomas picked a knife up off the draining board and brought his hand down fast and stuck the knife into Christopher."
Ms Richardson said she was punched by Mr Thomas Groome, who chased her out of the caravan site wielding the knife. She alerted the emergency services and returned to the caravan. "He looked me in the eye and he said 'I'm sorry'," she told the jury.
The trial continues.