Witnesses have told the Kerry murder trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin about conversations they had with the accused man on the day the body of James Healy was found.
Mr Michael O'Brien (27), single and unemployed, of Gallowsfield, Tralee, Co Kerry, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of the 16-year-old at Monavalley Industrial Estate, Tralee on or about February 22nd, 1997. Mr O'Brien and the deceased were allegedly associates.
Mr John Tobin, of Balloonagh Estate, Tralee, said he met the accused on the day the deceased's body was found and asked him if he knew who the dead man was.
Mr O'Brien then replied: "For all I know that could be my brother," Mr Tobin told the court.
Giving evidence, Mr Eric Leahy, of Shanakill, Tralee, said he met the accused on the day the body was discovered. He said: "John the Bobs [Mr Michael] O'Brien said to me that probably James is up the field with his head smashed in."
Mr Leahy said he took "James" to mean James Healy. "I did not ask him how he knew it was James," he said.
Mr Leahy also told the court that on the day the deceased's body was found, he was with a number of people when the accused joined them. Mr O'Brien said: "James is probably up there in the field with his face smashed in," Mr Leahy said.
Another witness, Mr Patrick O'Sullivan, of Shanakill, Tralee, said he saw the alleged murder weapon in a ditch, three to four days before Mr Healy was murdered. He said that on Tuesday, February 18th, 1997, he had been walking past the field where the body was found, when he spotted piping in the ditch.
"I didn't touch it," he said. Two weeks later he noticed the piping was gone. Mr O'Sullivan was shown a length of piping in court and said it was the same piping he had seen in the ditch.
The case continues.