A man accused of stabbing his brother-in-law to death in broad daylight in Kilkenny last year has told a jury he believed his wife had cheated on him with the alleged victim "years ago".
Andrew ‘Andy’ Cash took the stand in his own defence on Wednesday, telling the jury he was "out of his head on tablets" and could not clearly remember the events of the fatal day.
Mr Cash of Highrath, Clara, Co Kilkenny, is accused of the murder of John Cash (40) at Hebron Road, Kilkenny City, on May 3rd, 2022.
Mr Cash (30), a father of three, is also accused of assault causing harm to his own sister, Elizabeth Cash, who is John Cash’s wife, and of the production of a knife during the course of a dispute or fight at around 12.30pm on the same date and location.
Mr Cash has pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
The jury has already heard that the deceased, John Cash, was still conscious when gardaí arrived at the scene of his stabbing and was able to point out Andy Cash as his alleged attacker.
At the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, Andy Cash took the stand in his own defence and told prosecuting barrister Michael Delaney SC that he could not recall all the events of May 3rd, 2022, as he had been taking tablets and had also gone for two pints before midday.
Andy Cash told the court that he had a belief that his wife had cheated on him with John Cash "years ago".
CCTV footage
CCTV footage played to the jury has showed Andy Cash driving his Nissan Micra into Kilkenny City from his Highrath home and having a pint in the World's End bar before driving back in the direction of Highrath at around 11.30am.
The accused told Mr Delaney that he did not know why he drove home only to then return to the pub 30 minutes later but denied "one hundred per cent" it was to collect a knife to later use in a confrontation with John Cash.
After leaving the pub at around midday, the accused said he witnessed John and Elizabeth Cash exit a Centra and walk towards the area of Gashouse Lane in the city.
“I remember seeing him at the Centra and I wanted to confront him,” Andy Cash told Mr Delaney.
Mr Delaney asked the accused if he was the person on the CCTV footage played to the jury holding up his fists, putting up two middle fingers towards John Cash and shouting at him. "Yes. I must have been," said Andy Cash.
Counsel asked if Andy Cash had also shouted at John Cash "do you want another woman?” and was again told "I must have been".
Mr Delaney asked the witness if he had told the deceased: "I am going to kill you when I get my hands on you". Mr Cash said in reply: "I can't recall. I was out of my head on tablets. I remember bits of it, clips of it."
The accused agreed with counsel that it had been him captured on CCTV following the Cashs towards the Gashouse Lane with a knife behind his back but maintained the knife had been in the car "for ages" and that he used it for "fixing up stuff".
Andy Cash confirmed to Mr Delaney that he wanted to confront John Cash "to say to him what I thought was going on in my head" and that he had the knife on his person.
The accused agreed with counsel that he gave the deceased "a good thumping" while he was on the ground at Hebron Road but denied stabbing him, telling counsel that John Cash had "ducked" out of his knife's way.
Andy Cash said that while John Cash was on the ground he heard a comment that made him "get a rush of anger" and that he "lost control".
The accused had already told James Dwyer SC, defending, that he heard John Cash say that he would be "out to the lad's yard later" which was a reference to Andy Cash's home. The accused told Mr Dwyer that he took the statement to mean that John Cash was "coming out for a row".
Mr Delaney put it to the accused that he was "consumed by hatred" for the deceased, to which Andy Cash replied: "I didn’t like him [John Cash] but I didn’t want to kill him. Everyone’s lives have changed."
Mr Delaney asked if the accused remembered stating that John Cash "had it coming for years" in the presence of gardaí who arrived at the scene in the immediate aftermath and was again told "I don't recall".
Counsel said there had been evidence in the case that the accused had shouted “you got what you deserved” at the deceased but Andy Cash said he did not know that his brother-in-law had been stabbed at all and maintained that position in his Garda interview that night.
The prosecution and defence have both concluded their evidence and closing speeches in the case will commence on Thursday before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of seven women and five men.
