A 25-year-old man was fatally stabbed in the neck in Tallaght nearly two years ago in a row over a small debt and a stolen scooter, a prosecution barrister has told a murder trial.
The 12 jurors were also told by the State on Monday that it is the accused's position that he was in possession of a knife for self-defence and having initially walked away from the altercation he returned to protect his father, who sustained a stab type injury to the eye.
John Titiloye (28), with an address at Mac Uilliam Crescent, Fortunestown, Tallaght, Dublin 24 has pleaded not guilty to murdering Ademola Giwa (25) in the Mac Uilliam Road area in Tallaght on August 10th, 2021. Mr Giwa was from Mac Uilliam Parade in the same west Dublin town.
In his opening address to the Central Criminal Court jury this afternoon, prosecuting counsel John Byrne SC said the deceased Mr Giwa was nicknamed "Dizzy". He said the accused man Mr Titiloye was 26 years of age at the time.
Mr Byrne said that Mr Titiloye and Mr Giwa had been friends at one stage, having gone to school together and grown up on the same street.
Mr Byrne said that a man by the name of Samson Fayemi owed a small bit of money to the accused Mr Titiloye, and it had become "a source of tension" between them.
Counsel said that Mr Fayemi's scooter was forcibly taken by a number of men including Mr Titiloye "to settle the debt" on August 9th, the day prior to the killing, at Marlfield Estate in Tallaght.
Mr Byrne said Mr Fayemi's bunch of keys for his scooter were also taken by the men, which included his house keys.
Evidence
Counsel said that Mr Fayemi will give evidence in the trial that following the taking of his scooter by the men he called to his friend Mr Giwa to tell him what had happened.
In relation to the evidence against the accused, Mr Byrne said that a knife was purchased by Mr Titiloye in an angling and shooting shop in Lucan on the afternoon of August 10th.
Detailing the evidence that will be heard, Mr Byrne said Mr Fayemi and Mr Giwa called to Mr Titiloye's home at Mac Uilliam Crescent at 6.45pm on August 10th. "The purpose of the visit was to confront Mr Titiloye about the taking of Samson's scooter the previous day," he added. The accused Mr Titiloye was present in his house when the two men arrived.
The prosecution barrister went on to tell the court that the accused then left his home and the three men walked around the corner to Mac Uilliam Road, where a verbal row occurred between the three men that quickly developed into a physical altercation.
Mr Byrne said the evidence will be that Mr Titiloye's father Anthony involved himself in the altercation.
The barrister said it is the State's case that in the course of the argument Mr Titiloye produced a knife and stabbed Mr Giwa in the neck, which was the primary injury. The jury heard that the deceased also received a minor injury to his arm.
Mr Byrne said the evidence will be that the accused's father Anthony sustained an injury to the face. Counsel said it was "a cut type or stab type injury to the left eye" and the accused's father subsequently required treatment in hospital.
Outlining the facts of the case, Mr Byrne said that the accused Mr Titiloye left the scene after "the events on the road", which were witnessed by a number of individuals in the vicinity some of whom had recorded it on their mobile phones.
CCTV footage
He said there was CCTV and mobile phone footage of the incident.
Counsel told the jury that medical assistance was provided to Mr Giwa and further attempts were made to resuscitate him after he was transferred to Tallaght Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8.20pm on August 10th.
Counsel said the court will hear that Dr SallyAnne Collis gave Mr Giwa's cause of death as a stab wound to the neck with no other contributory factors.
Mr Titiloye was arrested the following day on August 11th on suspicion of the murder of Mr Giwa at Mac Uilliam Road and detained at Tallaght Garda Station.
The lawyer said that the prosecution case against Mr Titiloye is that he made certain admissions linking himself to events. "His position was that he was in possession of a knife for self-defence and having initially walked away he returned to protect his father," said Mr Byrne.
Counsel said the knife used by the accused was not retrieved and no weapons of any description were found. However, an identical knife to the one which Mr Titiloye had purchased from the shop in Lucan was obtained by gardaí.
The barrister further stated that there is forensic evidence in the case such as Mr Titiloye's clothing, which the prosecution say links the accused to events at Mac Uilliam Road on August 10.
The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women. It is expected to last two weeks.
