A VERDICT is expected today in the Central Criminal Court trial of a Limerick man charged with the murder of a father of three in the city last year.
Evidence in the trial of Mr Richard Bermingham concluded yesterday. Closing speeches will be made by prosecuting and defence counsels this morning before Mr Justice Flood.
Mr Bermingham (23), of O'Malley Park, Limerick, has denied the murder of Joseph Kiely at his home at O'Malley Park on August 20th last year.
The court heard Mr Kiely died after he was shot five times. Mr Gregory Murphy, prosecuting, said the victim was shot once in the head, three times in the front of the body and then turned over and shot once in the back.
Yesterday, Ms Sonia Moran said she was a girlfriend of the defendant and was sitting with him and some other people on steps in the early hours of August 20th, 1995. She said they had been drinking and taking "acid".
She heard a discussion between the defendant and another man. They spoke of threats made by the Kielys, she said. Ms Moran said Mr Bermingham and the other man then left. She said she did not see Mr Bermingham until the following morning when she told him gardai were looking for him.
Recalled at the request of the defence, Mrs Teresa Kiely and her brother in law, Mr John Kiely, denied that their identification of the defendant as a man present in their home at O'Malley Park in the early hours of August 20th 1995 was affected by the fact that Mr Bermingham was at that time a witness in a case against Mr Anthony Kiely, a brother of the deceased.
Garda Gerard Lynskey said he and other gardai arrived at the scene of a shooting at O'Malley Park in the early hours of August 20th 1995. The front door of the house was smashed and a light was on in the landing.
He said Mrs Teresa Kiely was very distressed. She was walking up and down in front of the house and she kept saying: "Why did Richie Bermingham do this to him? How am I going to live without him?"
Mrs Kiely did not mention another man, the witness said.
Del Sgt John O'Reilly said the deceased had previous convictions for larceny, burglary and the unauthorised taking of motor vehicles.
He had also received a three year prison sentence in 1989 for possession of a firearm with intent to commit an indictable offence.
The witness agreed with Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that the investigation into the killing of Joseph Kiely is ongoing and that certain forensic evidence had come to light regarding the matter.