CAMCORDER FOOTAGE shows a man who was stabbed to death by his cousin wielding the flick knife that was eventually used to kill him, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Heroin addict Shane Millea (27), of Celbridge, Co Kildare, had been charged with the murder of his cousin Paul Harris (33) at the Cannonbrook estate in Lucan, Co Dublin, on December 2nd, 2010.
He pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr Harris in March month, which was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Giving evidence at a sentence hearing yesterday Det Insp Richard McDonald agreed with Shane Murphy SC, for the State, that Millea made a statement to gardaí where he admitted stabbing Mr Harris in self-defence after the deceased attacked him with an axe handle.
He agreed with defence SC, Paul Burns, that Millea and Mr Harris had been “messing” with a camcorder, recording videos, making a snowman and drinking in the days before the incident.
Det Insp McDonald agreed that a transcript of the camcorder footage records Millea telling Mr Harris not to “come at” him with the flick knife he had brought him as a gift.
Millea told his cousin to “stop being so immature” and to put the knife back in its case, remarking: “If you tripped up I’d be dead.”
Det Insp McDonald agreed with Mr Burns that the transcript records Millea saying: “You can’t trust Stretch not to cut you in half.”
The court heard that “Stretch” was a nickname for Mr Harris, who was 6ft 2in in height.
Det Insp McDonald agreed that Millea also said “I don’t like that look in your eyes, man, drop the knife”, after Mr Harris prodded Millea in the buttocks with the weapon.