A murder-accused man told gardaí “I did him with his own weapons” and that he hoped the victim was "taken out in coroners’ bags” when he was stopped by officers moments after a fellow hostel resident was found with four stab wounds, a trial has heard.
Robert Murphy (42) has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Jamie Kavanagh (24) at a hostel on Harrington Street, Dublin 8, on April 19th, 2023. Defence lawyers have said that Mr Murphy admits stabbing Mr Kavanagh, thereby causing his death.
The Central Criminal Court has heard that Mr Kavanagh lived in a bedsit on Harrington Street, which was run by a hostel and a charity called 'Crosscare'. Mr Kavanagh was on the first floor and the accused man lived next door to him. Many people living in the premises were "on the margins" and on State aid, the trial has been told.
The jury has already heard that Mr Murphy was followed by gardai from the scene and was stopped on the street, where he was discovered to be carrying a bag with two large knives, a balaclava and blood-stained clothing.
Detective Garda Eve Rochfort, who was attached to Kevin Street Garda Station at the time, told Paul Greene SC for the prosecution today that she arrived at the scene about 4.40am that morning when the accused was still in the premises.
Mr Murphy told her he was taking a dog for a walk and she noted he had an ‘Under Armour’ bag with him. Garda Rochfort requested two members of the Garda Armed Support Unit to come with her to follow the accused down the street.
She said when he was discovered with the weapons and bloody clothes, Mr Murphy told Garda Rochfort: “Yeah look, I done that, I’ll tell youse what happened”.
“I was actually going for his neck, I wanted to get him in the neck.
“I’m sick of his carry on.”
According to Garda Rochfort, Mr Murphy continued: "I hope he was taken out in coroners' bags.
"I did him with his own weapons."
He told the garda that Jamie Kavanagh and his friends were doing drugs in his room, adding: “I hope their drugs get taken”.
Mr Murphy was also discovered to have €750 in cash on his person.
Garda Rochfort said she noticed that the accused had dried blood on his face when she first encountered him in the hostel, and when she questioned him about it she said “he was oblivious”.
Jamie Kavanagh’s former partner Amber Smith also told Mr Greene today that they had plans to move to Spain together.
Ms Smith said that they had been living together in a room in the hostel since February of that year and had plans for a future together. She said: “we were going to go to Spain”.
Ms Smith said that Jamie had gotten a loan of cash from some family members to “start us off”. She said that she only saw the cash but did not count it, presuming it to be worth “probably over 900 euro” but she never questioned him on his money.
Ms Smith said that in the weeks before the incident the accused Mr Murphy had a “weird vibe”, his behaviour was “very off” and that he would “say stuff like ‘sick of this house’”.
She also said that Mr Murphy had come into their shared room while she had Jamie were asleep.
Ms Smith said: “he would pop the door with a butter knife. That’s what freaked me out the most, I’d wake up and I’d wake Jamie up.” She said that Jamie would tell Robert to get out of the room and that Robert would leave.
Ms Smith told Mr Grehan: “When I wake up he would be by the cooker, not trying to wake us up, just walking around.”
The trial continues tomorrow before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and a jury of seven men and five women. It is expected to last six to seven days.
