The Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, told a murder trial jury in the Central Criminal Court yesterday that a Dublin heroin addict died from a stab wound coupled with a disease of the liver.
She was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of Mr Dermot Byrne (54), of Bath Street, Irishtown, who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Bernard Smyth (46), St Patrick's Villas, Ringsend, Irishtown, Dublin, on October 29th, 1998.
The prosecution has claimed Mr Byrne stabbed Mr Smyth after Mr Smyth took heroin at his house. The court heard that Mr Smyth, a drug addict who had been living rough, was taken in by Byrne.
Dr Cassidy said that following a post-mortem her conclusions were the deceased "bled more than would have been expected and this would have been difficult to control". Cirrhosis of the liver, possibly caused by alcohol, would have contributed to the low clotting of his blood, leading to continued bleeding, she said.
Dr Cassidy said she concluded the cause of Mr Smyth's death was "a stab wound to the abdomen and as a contributing factor, cirrhosis of the liver."
The trial before Mr Justice Carney continues today.