Murder trial told man lured ex’s partner to CCTV blind spot

A man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend’s partner lured him to an area hidden from CCTV cameras and stabbed him with a kitchen knife, prosecution lawyers have told his trial.

James “Chuck” Connors (29), of Rosemount, Drinagh, Co Wexford, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jason Ryan (27) at Hollyville Heights in Wexford on January 25th, 2012.

In his closing speech at the Central Criminal Court, Gerard Clarke SC, prosecuting, told the jury of five women and seven men that the evidence they have seen and heard shows the accused set out to kill Mr Ryan because he was going out with the accused’s ex-girlfriend, Samantha Hore.

Blind spot

He said Mr Connors brought a knife with him and, using prior knowledge of CCTV cameras in the area, lured Mr Ryan to a blind spot and stabbed him five times.

Defence counsel Michael Delaney SC, in his summary, said Mr Connors acted in self-defence and that Mr Ryan was the aggressor, having launched an attack with a metal-studded baton.

Setting out the State’s case, Mr Clarke said the evidence showed Mr Connors rang the doorbell of Mr Ryan’s home shortly after midnight on January 25th, 2012.

Mr Ryan shouted down to him from an upstairs window and then went back into his apartment to put on runners and get a baton that he kept for protection, Mr Clarke said.

During this time, Mr Connors walked away from Mr Ryan’s front door, up a ramp and into an area that is not covered by CCTV cameras.

Mr Clarke said Mr Connors had told gardaí during an interview on January 28th, 2012 that he saw Mr Ryan carrying a baton and that he had a knife tucked into the waistband of his trousers when he came to the door.

Mr Clarke said CCTV footage shown to the jury showed that by the time Mr Ryan came down to his front door, Mr Connors was already too far away to see anything that Mr Ryan may have been carrying.

“How could Chuck Connors have noticed at the door what Jason Ryan had with him? He could not possibly have met Jason Ryan face-to-face at the door but he, Chuck Connors, had that knife with him for the purpose of inflicting injury on Jason Ryan.

“Why did he bring it? Why would someone bring a knife to his former girlfriend’s place?”

Mr Delaney pointed to the evidence of one neighbour, Catriona Purdy, who said she looked out her window and saw a man with a baton hit another man twice.

‘Inconvenient truth’

He said this was ignored by the prosecution because it is an “inconvenient truth”. “There was a man, much bigger built, in a rage, attacking him with a metal studded baseball bat and struck him on the head, and this man is intent on keeping on hitting him.

“If a knife is available to him, what choice does he have but to use it? What other way for him to get the better of Mr Ryan?”

“Self-defence is central to this case,” he added.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan, in her charge to the jury, said they will be given the choice of a verdict of guilty of murder, not guilty, or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

She said jury members must consider the defence’s claim that Mr Connors was defending himself and if they think he used reasonable force in doing so, they should find him not guilty of any offence.