Many of the 183 stab wounds found on the body of a homeless man who suffered from cerebral palsy were deliberately rather than randomly placed and some were possibly inflicted after death, a pathologist has told a murder trial.
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Carl Gray, of Harrogate District Hospital in the UK, said this "raises the possibility of mental illness or abnormal state of mind in the assailant" who stabbed Adam 'Floater' Muldoon.
Philip Dunbar (20) of Glenshane Drive, Tallaght, Dublin 24 has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Muldoon (23) at Butler Park in Jobstown Park, Tallaght on June 22nd or June 23rd, 2018. Mr Dunbar has accepted that he carried out the stabbing but told gardai that he has no memory of it.
Dr Gray was called by Mr Dunbar's defence and told defence counsel Giollaiosa O'Lideadha SC that he examined the body after being requested to do so by a solicitor acting for Mr Dunbar. He said he agrees with the findings of Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster regarding the cause of death from multiple stab wounds.
Cause of death
He added that he found the symmetry and spacing of the wounds to be remarkable, adding: "There is an evenness to the spacing which is striking." He said he noticed symmetry in the number of wounds inflicted on each side of the body and said that inflicting so many wounds would have taken some time.
Dr Gray agreed with Pauline Walley SC for the prosecution that the mental state of the accused is for the jury to decide, adding: "A pathologist does not decide anything on mental state."
Earlier on Thursday the prosecution finished its evidence. Among the last witnesses was Ms Pamela McKeever, whose evidence was read to the court.
Ms McKeever said that she saw the accused with the deceased on the night Mr Muldoon died. It was 12.35am, she said, and they were walking towards Butler Park but Mr Muldoon couldn't keep up.
She shouted to Mr Muldoon to ask if he was "alright" and he replied that he was. She later heard shouting but couldn't make out what was said and then saw Mr Dunbar and Mr Muldoon walking towards Butler Park. She added: "I didn't see or hear anything else that night."
The trial continues tomorrow in front of Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and five women.
