Witness accepts silver object could have been bracelet
An eyewitness to a fatal fight who alleged last Friday that he saw the accused man swinging a silver object at the deceased has accepted that it could have been a bracelet the accused was wearing.
Christopher O'Callaghan (21), of O'Malley Park, Southill, Limerick has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Michael Fitzpatrick (19) of Yeats Avenue, Kincora Park, Southill outside the Olympic Arms pub on Roxboro Road on the night of June 25 1999.
Michael Fitzpatrick died in Limerick hospital while surgeons were trying to stem the blood flow and revive his heart.
In evidence, William Buckley said he witnessed the fight between O'Callaghan and Fitzpatrick from his bedroom window on Collins Avenue, opposite the pub.
He said he saw the fight, "blow for blow".
"The next minute, I seen an object in Christy O'Callaghan's right hand. All I seen was a silver object. Christy O'Callaghan was holding it in his right hand and he was swinging it", he told the court.
William Buckley told PJ McCarthy SC, prosecuting, that he did not know what the silver object was, but when O'Callaghan stopped swinging it, "Mikey turned around and staggered a bit, and then he fell."
Under cross-examination by defence counsel Mr Brendan Nix SC, today William Buckley said he could see the object "glittering" when O’Callaghan held his right hand up during the fight.
He agreed with Mr Nix that it was possible that it was a bracelet he saw glittering, if Christy O’Callaghan was wearing one.
The jury has heard that no other witness to the fight saw a knife or other weapon being used. No weapon was found at the scene.
The deputy state pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy has told the Central Criminal Court trial that the deceased was stabbed eight times, one wound penetrating to 13cm.
Post-mortem tests showed he was moderately drunk. There was no evidence that he had taken drugs.
