A Dublin man beaten during a drunken row in a field in Palmerstown in 1999 may have lain unconscious for over five hours before he died, the Deputy State pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, told a murder trial yesterday.
In the Central Criminal Court, Mr Michael McDonnell (42), of Harelawn Green, Clondalkin, has denied the murder of Mr Martin Sweeney (36), of Gurteen Avenue, Ballyfermot, at the fields adjacent to Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin, between May 27th and May 28th, 1999.
The jury has already heard that gardai and an ambulance were outside the field on the night Mr Sweeney died but were not aware that Mr Sweeney was injured.
A prosecution witness, Mr Francis Fagan, was being collected by ambulance. Mr Fagan has alleged that the accused also struck him a blow to the back of the head.
Dr Cassidy said that had the deceased been brought to hospital a simple operation would have removed a blood clot in his brain.
The case continues.