A murder trial jury is to hear evidence that a 49-year-old man died after his head was stomped on.
The 12 jurors will have to consider the accused’s intent at the time, and were also told by defence counsel Brendan Grehan on Wednesday that accused Tomas Cypas admits hitting the deceased “over the course of the particular weekend”.
Cypas (35), with an address at Foxborough Road, Lucan, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to murdering Juris Kokenbergs (49) at Old Bridge Park, Lucan, Co Dublin on October 28th, 2024.
In his opening address to the Central Criminal Court jury on Wednesday, Conor Devally, prosecuting, said “interestingly” the date of October 28th, 2024 could be a matter of some confusion in the case.
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Counsel said the act of killing someone isn’t just the violence inflicted and that it only comes to completion when a person dies.
Outlining the facts of the case, Devally said Kokenbergs had called into the house of the accused man’s mother on Saturday, October 26th and that “drink had formed part of the day”. He said sometime during that day Kokenbergs sustained a serious injury.
Counsel said most of the events of the case “centre” around the evening of October 26th.
Devally said an assault was perpetrated by Cypas on Kokenbergs late on the night of October 26th and “maybe into the early hours of the following morning”.
“Over the following number of hours the late Mr Kokenbergs expired and finally died,” he said.
The prosecution barrister told the court that Kokenbergs had occupied a couch adjacent to the kitchen area for the following day – October 27th – after these injuries were inflicted.
Counsel said it is the prosecution’s case that Kokenberg had died “from stomping on the head”.
Grehan, defending Cypas, made a number of admissions on behalf of his client including that the accused had hit Kokenbergs “over the course of the particular weekend” and that the principal issue for the jury’s consideration is Cypas’s intent at the relevant time.
The trial continues on Thursday before Judge Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.
