Attackers used a clothesline to bind a pensioner's hands and feet before he was left to die in his home five years ago, a Dublin jury has been told.
It was the seventh day of prosecution evidence in the Central Criminal Court trial of Mr Patrick O'Connor (37), a native of Poulboy, Kilgainey, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Tommy Casey (68), who died between the 15th and 23rd of January 1996 at his home in Oranbeg, Oranmore, Co Galway. Mr O'Connor also denies three further charges of trespass with intent to rob, and the assault and false imprisonment of Mr Casey at his home in Oranbeg on January 15th, 1996.
The jury has heard that a post-mortem examination showed that the pensioner died of asphyxia caused by a combination of having his arms tied behind his back, by the position he was found lying in and by injuries to his chest. The State pathologist has said Mr Casey was given "a severe beating" and the resulting neurogenic shock contributed to his death.
Yesterday, Det Garda Eugene Gilligan, of the Garda Technical Bureau, said that when he examined the scene at Mr Casey's home, he found that a mattress on a double bed upstairs had been folded back and several items from a wardrobe, including personal papers and receipts, were strewn around the bedroom. Det Garda Gilligan told Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, that a length of blue rope used to tie Mr Casey's hands and feet was a clothesline.
The jury was told the detective also examined rope found in a car driven by the accused man on the night the prosecution alleges that Mr Casey was attacked.
It heard that the rope was made of similar material and was also blue, but was not the same as the clothesline rope.
Det Garda Gilligan told Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, that the blue rope found in the car was slightly thicker standard rope commonly used in farming, fishing and for industrial and semi-industrial purposes.
The jury also heard that no fingerprint evidence was found in the house.
The jury was sent away yesterday until next Wednesday as legal argument began before Ms Justice Carroll.