Accused hit victim with slash hook in stomach, niece says

The niece of a murder victim claimed she saw the man accused of his murder swinging a slash hook at the body of her uncle.

The niece of a murder victim claimed she saw the man accused of his murder swinging a slash hook at the body of her uncle.

Amanda Faulkner, Mitchell's Crescent, Tralee, Co Kerry, was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork.

Michael McCarthy (24), Ballyspillane, Killarney, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Faulkner on August 23rd, 2004, at Mitchell's Crescent.

Yesterday, Ms Faulkner told the jury of six men and six women that she was babysitting in a nearby house on the night of the incident which was during the 2004 Rose of Tralee festival.

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"I was throwing something into the bin and I heard Michael [ Faulkner] saying 'help, help'," she said.

Ms Faulkner, during her examination by prosecuting counsel John Edwards SC, said she saw Mr McCarthy hit her uncle "into the stomach - he had a slash hook".

"I was two doors down - I had a clear view . . . He was on the ground.

"The blood was everywhere," she added.

Ms Faulkner then added that she saw Mr McCarthy drive away in his wine-coloured van.

"He was wearing a white T-shirt and my uncle was in a black jacket, blue shirt and blue jeans," she said.

Defence barrister Anthony Sammon asked Ms Faulkner if she had really seen his client attacking her uncle.

"I have to say to you that you are very, very wrong - you didn't see Michael McCarthy behaving like that," he said.

Ms Faulkner responded: "I did."

In other evidence, witness Breda O'Connor said that she saw a man wearing a white T-shirt "waving a slash hook" at a man wearing dark clothing.

She said she saw "three or four men surround Mr Faulkner and start beating him".

"Mr Faulkner was stretched out on the road - a man in a white T-shirt raised a slash hook and gave it to him on the upper body.

"He was shouting at the man on the ground, 'he won't do that again' or something to that effect," she said.

Ms O'Connor immediately left the area and reported what she had seen to gardaí who were on duty in Tralee.

The trial continues before Judge Paul Carney at Cork Courthouse later today.