Blood-soaked man found outside home of murder accused

A Waterford murder trial has heard emergency services found a blood-soaked man on the ground outside the accused man's house, which was also covered in blood and littered with alcohol cans.

A garda and a paramedic gave the evidence to the Central Criminal Court on Tuesday in the trial of a 37-year-old man, charged with murdering another man in Co Waterford more than four years ago.

Tadhg Butler, with an address at Seafield in Tramore is accused of murdering 25-year-old Michael O'Dwyer on 10th January, 2014 at a location in the county. He has pleaded not guilty.

Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, opening the trial for the prosecution, told the jury the deceased had been stabbed in his chest at the accused man’s address. His heart and left lung had been injured, and he had died in hospital a couple of hours later.

“I think there’ll be no issue in this case but that the accused had a knife, which did cause the death of the unfortunate deceased,” he said.

The prosecutor also explained that Tadhg Butler had previously been called Thomas O’Grady, but had changed his name by deed poll.

“There’s nothing wrong whatsoever with changing your name by deed poll,” he remarked. “A lot of people do that.”

Door forced in

A garda photographer explained the front door of the house had been forced in by gardaí when he arrived. Detective Garda Eoin Conway said the entrance and the living room floor were covered in blood.

Bringing the jury through the crime scene photographs, he said there was also quite a number of cans and empty bottles in the house.

“The floor is littered with cans,” he added.

Referring to an off-licence receipt for €48.50, he confirmed it appeared drink had been ordered and delivered in the box to which it was attached.

Under cross examination by Michael Bowman SC, defending, he agreed it was clear that ‘a very considerable amount of alcohol had been consumed in the very recent past in that property’.

A paramedic testified he was called to a stabbing at that address and arrived to find a man lying on the ground outside the front door.

Michael Fanning told Tony McGillicuddy SC, prosecuting, that a garda was holding a bandage to the man’s chest. There was a lot of shouting and commotion, he added.

“His colour was pale. He was covered in blood and his clothing was blood-soaked,” he recalled. “There was no attempt by him to breathe and no response. His eyes were fully dilated and there were no signs of any pulse.”

He put the patient on advanced life support and took him by ambulance to hospital in Waterford, where he died within hours.

The trial continues on Wednesday morning before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury of six men and six women. The jurors were told they were the second jury sworn for this case, the first jury having been discharged due to one member having a difficulty.