A DUBLIN MAN WAS fatally stabbed after his alleged killer was refused entry to a "family party", the Central Criminal Court has been told.
Bernard Joyce (21), also known as Brian Joyce, Carton Road, Poppintree, Ballymun, denies murdering James Donoghue (26) at Dane Road, Ballymun, on September 10th, 2006.
Roger Sweetman SC, prosecuting, said Mr Donoghue was fatally stabbed in the heart and suffered a fractured skull and other stab wounds. He said the jury would hear that Mr Joyce and two other men had sought entry to a 21st birthday party at Cairn Court, Ballymun, but were refused and told that it was a family party.
The men threw one or two bottles into the yard of the house and were chased by guests and given "a hiding".
The prosecution would say that Mr Joyce and two others went to their homes and armed themselves with knives and some kind of stick. They returned to Cairn Court and "roared" at the house.
Mr Sweetman said Mr Donoghue and others went outside and in the ensuing confrontation, he received fatal injuries. A witness would say they saw Mr Joyce stab Mr Donoghue and forensic evidence would be given that bloodstains matching Mr Donoghue were found on a knife found at Mr Joyce's house and on clothes.
Mr Sweetman said that knife was not the weapon which inflicted the fatal wound. He said Mr Joyce told gardaí that he stabbed Mr Donoghue in self-defence.
Jason Whelan told the court that the party was for members of his family. He was called out by Mr Joyce who asked if he could come in. He refused and the men left but threw a bottle over the back wall.
Cross-examined by Pádraig Dwyer SC, defending, Mr Whelan said he and a number of others from the party chased the three men. In a statement to gardaí, Mr Whelan had said they had "chased three Travellers".
Mr Dwyer suggested that between 10 and 15 people may have chased them. Mr Whelan agreed that he was drunk and that he had run after them and that his father was driving a van.
The men later returned and Mr Donoghue went outside. Mr Whelan said he saw Mr Joyce and the other two stab Mr Donoghue.
The case continues this afternoon before Mr Justice George Birmingham and a jury.