A MAN and a woman who were camping in a field in Thurles last year stabbed a man during a drunken row before concealing his body and fleeing to England, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Kevin Keohane (33), no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Renars Tuleiko (32), a Latvian national, at Parnell Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary, some time from April 13th to 15th, 2007.
Victoria Moverley (32), also of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in concealing the body and burning his clothes. She has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Tuleiko, causing him serious harm.
Peter Marinan SC, prosecuting, told the jury that both were born in England and he described Ms Moverley as a "new age traveller."
"They had been staying in a tent in Parnell Park, Thurles, for two weeks before the alleged murder and they had "previously met the deceased". "They had gone drinking with him in their tent and by the river. They weren't complete strangers," he said.
Mr Tuleiko was married with two young children. He arrived in Ireland in May 2005 and was working as a mechanic.
Mr Marinan said Mr Keohane and Ms Moverley had collected money from the welfare office in Nenagh and returned to Thurles by 7pm on the night of the alleged murder.
"Both had been drinking and, while in town, met Mario Marko, a man they knew, and invited him back to the tent. A fire was lit and at some stage the deceased joined them. There was no suggestion of any animosity between the parties involved.
"Mario Marko left . . . A row broke out some time later, over what it is not clear," Mr Marinan said. "There was a physical fight between the deceased and Mr Keohane, which Victoria Moverley became involved in.
"Ms Moverley stabbed the deceased in the back and Mr Keohane stabbed him in the neck. Mr Keohane then removed the deceased's small finger. Why he did this remains entirely uncertain.
"They killed him, then dragged his body some distance away and made an effort to conceal it. They burned his clothes and burned anything that might incriminate them . . . and fled to Holyhead and England."
Mr Marinan told the jury that both were arrested in England the following November and "claimed they were acting in self-defence".
Mr Tuleiko was found with "43 significant and serious injuries to his body and a fatal stab wound to the neck. Mr Keohane left with a bruised knuckle, which he attributed to striking the deceased. Ms Moverley left apparently unscathed."
Mr Marinan said it appeared to have been a "motiveless killing."
Brothers Christy and Paddy Jordan told the court that they found the body while walking their dogs on the evening of April 15th, 2007.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White at the Central Criminal Court.