A former All-Ireland boxing champion died "as a result of a single stab wound to the right side of the abdomen", the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
The State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, was giving evidence in the trial of a Dublin man accused of murdering Mr Joseph Sutcliffe (32) on October 13th, 2002.
Mr Anthony Burke (35), Clancarty Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to the murder in the Fatima Mansions flat complex, Rialto in the capital's south inner city.
Dr Cassidy, who conducted a post-mortem examination on Mr Sutcliffe's body, told the court his death was due to blood loss from his stab wound. This blood loss, she said, was mostly internal, which explained the lack of blood staining on his clothes.
Dr Cassidy discovered an "abnormality of heart arteries, normally seen in much older people". His lungs were also slightly abnormal. Despite Mr Sutcliffe's ill health, however, she confirmed that the stab wound received was life threatening.
The witness also found a lot of bruising and scratches on the deceased. "The injuries were mainly on the face and fresh."
She said they had occurred within the 24 hours prior to his death. However, she found no evidence of defensive injuries to his arms.
Referring to the stab wound on Mr Sutcliffe's body, Dr Cassidy said only moderate force and a narrow blade would have been necessary to inflict it. She was shown a knife in court, believed to be the murder weapon, and accepted that this could very well have caused the injury.
Earlier, the jury was shown footage of the accused explaining how and why he stabbed the father of three. The video was of his official statement, taken a week after Mr Sutcliffe's death.
The trial continues today, when the defence will deliver its closing speech.