THE MAN accused of murdering a Google employee as he walked home from the pub told gardaí that he was not a violent person and had not meant to stab or kill the deceased.
Dane Pearse also told gardaí in the hours following the incident that "a maniac was running around stabbing people" but revised his remarks later that day.
Mr Pearse (21), Londonbridge Drive, Irishtown, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering 26-year-old Mark Spellman from Dalkey at Londonbridge Road, Irishtown, on August 4th, 2007.
Det Garda Damien Boland told Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that Mr Pearse made a voluntary statement to him at St Vincent's hospital on the afternoon following the incident. Det Garda Boland said Mr Pearse was aware that Mr Spellman had died when he made the statement.
Mr Pearse told gardaí that he had been heading home from the pub with his girlfriend and that they had been messing and chasing each other. They had earlier been drinking at a pub in Ringsend and had stopped at a Chinese takeaway so Mr Pearse could buy curry chips.
He said he had drunk two long-neck bottles of cider at home, then had five pints of cider and four vodka and Red Bull in the pub.
Mr Pearse said his girlfriend was running ahead of him as they turned into Londonbridge Drive. He said a fella shouted "what are youse doing jogging".
The accused said he asked this man what his problem was and that the man kicked him in the chest knocking him down. Mr Pearse said he got up and again asked what the problem was.
Mr Pearse then went into his own house and took a souvenir baton and a knife with a five- to six-inch blade from his bedroom. He ran back out to frighten the man and saw three or four lads outside having a "laugh and a joke".
He said one of the men said "look, it's the big man with the baton". He said he stopped as he had expected them to run but instead they ran towards him. He said one man grabbed the baton from him and the man who had kicked him in the chest pushed him through a garden gate.
Mr Pearse said this man landed on top of him and was smacking his head off the ground. He said that was when the knife went in. The man stopped moving and Mr Pearse got up and went home.
He realised at home that he was bleeding and screamed for an ambulance. He said he had not meant to hurt, stab or kill Mr Spellman. He said it should never have happened. He told gardaí he knew this would not bring Mr Spellman back.
Mr Pearse said he was not a violent man and only "once in a blue moon" had been involved in fights.
The jury heard that Mr Pearse had an 11-month-old child with his girlfriend and lived with his mother and uncle. He worked part-time for Aiken Promotions.
A statement from Dr Justin Curran, who treated the deceased in hospital, was read into evidence. Dr Curran said Mr Spellman had two stab wounds to his abdomen and attempts were made to resuscitate him for 50 minutes before he was pronounced dead at 3.25am.
Mr Pearse had suffered a deep wound to his forearm and was also treated in hospital.
Garda Denise Kane said she spoke to Mr Pearse at 4.32am in the hospital and he told her that two or three "lanky lads" had approached him. He told Garda Kane the men were "yuppies" and one had kicked him in the chest. He said he had tried to defend himself but had not seen a weapon and did not feel his own injury before he got up and walked away.
Diarmaid McGuinness SC, defending, suggested to Garda Kane that Mr Pearse's initial comments were "demonstrably wrong" and that he did not maintain them in subsequent interviews.
Mr Pearse also spoke to Garda Valerie Farrell while waiting to receive treatment. He told her that he was aware that another man had been stabbed that night and said "there's a maniac going around stabbing people".
The hearing will continue on Monday afternoon before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of six men and six women.