Pathologist tells murder trial Limerick man stabbed six times in pub

Mark Crawford claims he acted in self-defence when row broke out with Patrick O’Connor

A 24-year-old who sustained six stab wounds in a Limerick pub died due to injuries to his heart and jugular vein, a murder trial has heard.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster on Friday gave evidence in the Central Criminal Court trial of Mark Crawford (43), who is charged with murdering Patrick ‘Pa’ O’Connor in Limerick city over two years ago.

Dr Bolster said the cause of death was haemorrhage or bleeding shock due to stab wounds to the thorax and neck.

Mr Crawford with an address at Quarry Road, Thomondgate, Co Limerick has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr O’Connor at Fitzgerald’s Bar on Sexton Street in Limerick between July 7th and 8th, 2018.

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Dr Bolster told prosecution counsel John Fitzgerald SC that she conducted a postmortem on Mr O’Connor on July 9th, 2018 and found six stab wounds on his body. A wound to the deceased’s jugular vein on the left side of his neck was 10cm in depth, she said, and another to the back of his neck was 6.5cm deep.

The jury also heard a third stab wound was inflicted on the left side of his thorax or chest. This wound was 2.1cm in length and extended through his fourth rib and right ventricle and penetrated through the deceased’s heart sack and went to a depth of 10cm, she added.

Dr Bolster said there were two stab wounds on Mr O’Connor’s left upper arm and another to his left forearm. She said that cocaine was also detected in the deceased man’s system.

Under cross-examination by Patrick McGrath SC, defending, Dr Bolster agreed that the two fatal wounds were those that went into the heart and neck and the other injuries were less serious. She further agreed that the two fatal wounds were consistent with both men having been standing at the time.

In re-examination, Mr Fitzgerald asked the witness if the wounds were more consistent with both men standing because of the direction of the wounds. Dr Bolster agreed that this was the case but said that she could not rule out both having been sitting at the time.

Leaned into

Barman Cyril O’Connor previously testified that he saw Mr Crawford lean into Mr O’Connor and use his right hand to hit him while he sat in the chair and only later realised that the deceased had been stabbed.

Under cross-examination, Mr McGrath put it to the barman that he was mistaken about Mr O’Connor sitting in the chair and suggested that both men had “stood up to each other” before Mr Crawford stabbed the deceased a number of times as he had felt under threat. The witness denied this was the case.

“It’s a photograph in my head of the accused holding Mr O’Connor and striking him,” Mr O’Connor said.

In his opening address to the jury on Monday, Mr Fitzgerald said that Mr Crawford is accused of stabbing Mr O’Connor to death in a Limerick bar after a row over payment for cocaine. The prosecution barrister said the accused man and the deceased had been taking cocaine together on the night and Mr O’Connor was aggrieved that he had paid €100 for cocaine.

The barrister said evidence will be given that the accused admitted stabbing the deceased to gardaí but said he had acted in self-defence out of concern he was going to be attacked as he was not from that part of Limerick city.

The trial continues.