THREE CHILDREN are to give evidence today in the murder trial of two men accused of the killing of a man in Crumlin, Dublin, last year. The children are to give evidence by video-link in the Central Criminal Court, the trial was told yesterday.
The jury heard that David Rooney (35) died after being attacked with a golf club and snooker cue by two young men in Crumlin last summer.
Jason Curry (20), Leighlin Road, Crumlin, and Karl Fay (18), Lismore Road, Crumlin, both deny murdering Mr Rooney at Clonmacnoise Road, Crumlin, on July 12th, 2008.
Tom O'Connell SC, prosecuting, told the jury in his opening speech that Mr Rooney was attacked by Mr Fay and Mr Curry at about 8.30pm on July 2nd, 2008. Mr Rooney died of his injuries in hospital days on July 12th.
Mr O'Connell said that the State would furnish witnesses who saw Mr Curry attacking Mr Rooney with the screw-off end of a snooker cue while Mr Fay hit him with a golf club.
Mr O'Connell said Mr Rooney had lived at Lismore Road, Drimnagh with his parents and brother all his life and was a man in ill health who was in receipt of disability allowance.
Mr Rooney died of brain damage as a result of a fracture to the right side of his skull due to significant blunt force injury to the head, Mr O'Connell said.
He told the jury that the State's case was based on the eyewitness accounts of three children who would give evidence via video link today.