THE BEST friend of a man accused of murder said he saw him go mad and stab the 37-year-old victim “for nothing”, the Central Criminal Court heard.
Carl Thomas was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of Stephen Delaney (24) of Belclare Grove, Ballymun. Delaney has pleaded not guilty to murdering Anthony Cullen, but admits unlawfully killing him at Burmah Caravan Park in Rosslare, Co Wexford on Easter Sunday morning, April 8th, 2007.
Mr Thomas said he had trouble recalling the events as he was on ecstasy at the time, but he was able to confirm statements he gave to gardaí the following day.
“He just went mad and crazy for nothing and started stabbing him. I couldn’t stop him. I don’t understand why he done it,” he told gardaí during an interview. “He just went mad. It’s for nothing. It’s the other fella, Aidan [Cullen’s friend Aidan Duggan]. He started it. He caused it. I just want this out. I can’t cope with it.”
Giollaiosa O Lideadha SC, defending, spent the afternoon reading statements made by Mr Thomas at the time as well as memos of interviews conducted with Mr Thomas. All were signed at the time by the witness.
Mr Thomas had said he did not want to get Delaney into trouble and confirmed that it was “possible” he said what was contained in the statements.
“That young fella’s my best mate,” he told the court, explaining that he had resuscitated Delaney once after he overdosed. “I don’t know if I’m putting him in trouble or not.”
Mr Thomas tried to shake hands with the accused after he left the witness box, but Delaney declined.
The Assistant State Pathologist told the court that the victim died from three stab wounds to his back. Dr Michael Curtis said his postmortem examination showed that a 10cm-deep wound went through the spine and punctured Mr Cullen’s left lung.
The second wound, measuring 12cm, sliced the fifth rib and went all the way through the right lung. The deepest wound, measuring 15.5cm, went through the right lung and penetrated the liver.
Dr Curtis said there was bleeding into both lungs, which were collapsed, the windpipe was full of blood and there was blood in the chest cavity.
There were no defence injuries.
He said Mr Cullen had also received bruising, lacerations and abrasions to the head and face consistent. An injury to his forehead was consistent with him banging it off a hard surface.
This trauma could have been a contributory factor to his death, he said, explaining that he could have been stunned by it. He also said Mr Cullen was severely intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 460mg, but had no drugs in his system. He agreed with Mr O Lideadha that the level of alcohol was so high that it could have caused a breakdown in bodily functions.
Forensic scientist Dr Emily Jordan said the DNA profile of blood found on the accused’s socks and tracksuit matched that of the victim, as did the profile of blood on a knife found at the scene.
The trial continues.