Man pleads not guilty to Tralee slash hook murder
A Tralee man denied murdering another man in the town two years ago and today a trial commenced where it was claimed that the accused struck the deceased several times with a slash hook.
Michael McCarthy of 121 Ballyspillane, Killarney, Co Kerry, was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, and he pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Michael Faulkner at Mitchell's Crescent, Tralee, Co Kerry, on August 23, 2004.
A jury of six men and six women was sworn in to hear the case before Mr Justice Paul Carney.
John Edwards, prosecution senior counsel, gave an outline of the expected the evidence to be given in the trial which is likely to go on until the middle of next week. He stressed that this was an outline and was not evidence and that the accused man was presumed innocent.
“The deceased man was living at 7 Mitchell’s Crescent. Some time after 11.15pm on the night of August 23, 2004, Patrick Faulkner, son of the deceased Michael Faulkner, at the time 12 years old, met his father at Mitchell’s Cresent.
“Some minutes later, the evidence will be, a wine-coloured van drove into the junction from the Grotto side and stopped in the middle of the junction between Mitchell’s Crescent and Mitchell’s Road. The accused man, Michael McCarthy, (aged 24) got out of the van and walked towards the back of it.
“He then turned and went to the front of it and took a slash hook from the vicinity of the driver’s door. The accused then walked towards the late Michael Faulkner (aged 43) and swung the slash hook at him.
“The late Mr Faulkner was struck, he managed to take possession of the slash hook and lashed out with it and broke the front windscreen of this wine-coloured van. Another gentleman arrived at scene at this point, Francie McCarthy."
Mr Edwards continued: “Michael McCarthy, the accused, picked up a slash hook at this point and struck Mr Faulkner several times on his body with the slash hook. It would appear that the intervener was trying to stop Mr (Michael) McCarthy from striking Mr Faulkner but he proceeded in doing so. In the course of doing so, he perpetrated very very serious injuries to Mr Faulkner. Eventually he (the accused) got into the van and drove off southwards to Ballymullen.”
