An 18-year-old student died from swelling to the brain due to severe facial injuries he received after he was kicked in the head outside a well-known Dublin hotel, a court has heard.
State Pathologist, Professor John Harbison, told the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Mr Brian Murphy's facial injuries were caused by "considerable violence" being inflicted upon him.
Professor Harbison was giving evidence on day three of the trial of four youths charged with the manslaughter of Mr Murphy outside the Burlington Hotel.
He told Mr Edward Comyn SC (with Mr Brendan Grehan SC), prosecuting, that Mr Murphy's death was also complicated by the inhalation of blood which occurred from three cuts he received just above his upper lip.
Professor Harbison said his external facial injuries, which included a deep abrasion on the chin, cuts to his right eye-socket and a cut to his lower jaw on the left side were due to blows or kicks from a hard object, possibly a shoe or a boot.
A part of Mr Murphy's brain had been flattened and it was bleeding and his internal injuries were not consistent with a fall but were due to an assault.
He added that when he performed the post-mortem on Mr Murphy over five hours after his death in August 2000, he also had two groups of bruises on his back and an abrasion on his leg that suggested he fell forward and struck it off a rough surface.
Mr Andrew Frame (22), from Nutley Lane, Donnybrook, Mr Sean Mackey (23), from South Park, Foxrock, Mr Desmond Ryan (22), from Cunningham Road, Dalkey, all Co Dublin, and Mr Dermot Laide (22), from Rossvale, Castleblayney, Co Monaghan have pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Murphy at Sussex Road on August 31, 2000.
The four have also denied committing violence disorder by using or threatening to use unlawful violence on the same date.
Professor Harbison told Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Mr Luan O Braonain BL), for Mr Ryan, in cross-examination, that many of Mr Murphy's muscles had been loosened because of the alcohol he had drunk that night but he did not appear to have drank an excessive amount.