The jury at the trial of a man accused of murdering his friend in a campervan beside a lake in Westmeath are expected to retire tomorrow to consider their verdict.
John-Paul Mooney (29), with an address at Trim Road, Summerhill, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Thomas Canning (42), also from Summerhill, at Lough Lene, Collinstown, Co Westmeath on August 30th last year.
He has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Canning.
The Central Criminal Court heard today from State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy.
She told the jury that it appears “significant force" was applied to Mr Canning's neck, sufficient to fracture the larynx, and cause cardiac arrest.
Previously, the court heard that the accused and the deceased collected their social welfare in Summerhill on the day of the alleged murder and then took Mr Canning’s campervan for a drive round the area, before ending up that evening in the carpark of Lough Lene.
Later that night Mooney telephoned gardaí and told them he had killed his friend.
Dr Cassidy said it appears that Mr Canning was “overpowered by his attacker until his larynx was fractured and he either stopped struggling or he collapsed unconscious” and that death was “most likely due to cardiac arrest".
“There is no evidence to suggest it was a protracted assault or that Mr Canning struggled violently with his attacker”.
The court also heard closing speeches from prosecuting counsel Michael Durack SC and defence counsel Patrick Gageby SC.
Mr Durack said that the facts show an intention to cause serious injury and that in his interviews with gardai Mooney “said that he did it with an intention to suffocate”.
Mr Gageby said: “This was no sustained assault. There was only one mechanism of death, a fist to the throat causing a heart-attack. This man was not suffocated. It is rather unlikely the assault lasted two minutes. That is a very important part of this case.”
Mr Justice Barry White is expected to finish charging the jury before they retire to consider their verdict tomorrow.