Murder accused said he 'went along' with plan
A murder accused told gardai he "went along" with a plan to rob a young deaf man who was beaten to death in a lonely boreen near a Tipperary village in December 1998.
The accused, Michael Sage, claimed that another man, William 'Ning' Roche said he was going "to take every penny off the victim" but when he could not find his wallet he began beating him about the head with a ratchet taken from the accused's car.
Michael Sage (26) of Glenacre, Killaloe, Co Clare has pleaded not guilty to the murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Mr John Carroll (22) of Cappamore, Co Limerick at Garraun, Ballinahinch, Newport, Tipperary on December 4 1998. He also pleaded guilty to falsely imprisoning Mr Carroll on the same date.
The jury was told that William Roche was convicted of Mr Carroll's murder earlier this year and that Deirdre Rose, who is now Mr Sage's wife, was charged with murder but acquitted.
In the Central Criminal Court today Det Sgt John Melody, National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, said the accused told investigating gardai that he went along with a plan to rob Mr Carroll and divide the proceeds.
He and William Roche had spent the earlier part of the evening drinking with Mr Carroll but a dispute arose when Mr Carroll refused to pay £30 to stay overnight in the home of a friend of the accused.
Det Melody said the accused made a statement in which he said 'Ning' Roche hit Mr Carroll when he refused to pay the money.
The accused also told gardai that he had suggested taking Mr Carroll to Limerick Hospital in his car but on the way, Ning Roche began hitting him in the back of the car.
They pulled into a lonely boreen when Roche pulled Mr Carroll from the car and asked Sage for something to hit him with.
"I'm going to do him and take every penny off him," Mr Roche allegedly said, according to the accused's statement.
The accused told gardai that Roche took a ratchet from the accused's car and hit Mr Carroll about the head. "I heard the blows" the statement read.
The accused said he "saw blood on John Carroll's head" and he knew he was dead.
He told gardai that he helped William Roche search Mr Carroll for this wallet but could not find it, all he could find was his travel pass and payslip.
They then left him there and drove back towards Limerick. The accused said he stopped along the way and burned the travel pass and payslip.
He told gardai he was afraid of William Roche. "Ning told me to get rid of everything or he'd kill me," the statement read.
Questioned by defence counsel John Edwards SC, Det Sgt Melody told the court that the accused signed the statement.
The trial was adjourned until Thursday because of Ireland's World Cup match against Germany.
