The jury in the trial of two men charged with the murder of Vincent Parsons have heard that the father of two was so badly beaten there was bleeding from his ears and his top was soiled with blood.
Evidence was also given by gardaí at the Central Criminal Court on Thursday that Mr Parsons (34) had to be brought to hospital in the back of a garda car as there was no ambulance available to transport him.
Sean Carlyle (30), with an address at Donomore Avenue, Tallaght, and Philip Disney (27), of Donomore Crescent, Tallaght, have pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Parsons (34) at Killinarden Way, Tallaght on August 26th, 2019.
The prosecution alleges that Mr Disney was irritated and agitated after speaking to Vincent Parsons in a public house and that he and Mr Carlyle, as part of a joint enterprise or common design, murdered him by beating him to death at a green area near the pub.
No ambulance
Garda Sean Lawlor told counsel for the prosecution Diarmuid Collins BL that he was on patrol on the night of August 24th, 2019 when three males near the Killinarden estate gestured to him to stop.
Gda Lawlor said he found a male lying on the ground of the green area near the estate. He said one of the three men who gestured to the gardaí to stop was holding a towel to the head of the man on the ground in an attempt to contain bleeding.
Gda Lawlor said the male on the ground was unconscious and badly beaten. He said there was a lot of blood around the facial area, and the man was not moving.
The witness confirmed to Mr Collins that he now knew the man on the ground to be Vincent Parsons.
Gda Lawlor said he radioed for an ambulance but was told that no ambulance was available. He said he informed patrol of the man’s condition and told them that an ambulance was required immediately.
“His condition was so bad that we could not leave him there. He would have died,” said Garda Lawlor.
He said that he and his colleagues placed Mr Parsons in the garda car and brought him to Tallaght Hospital.
Garda Ross Thorton gave evidence to Mr Collins that he observed Mr Parsons to have severe swelling to his face and there was bleeding from his facial area. He said Mr Parsons was not responsive.
“I believed he would not have survived the wait for an ambulance,” said Garda Thorton.
Van
Detective Garda Conor Harrison gave evidence that on the night of August 24, 2019, he became aware that the gardaí were interested in a dark van with the logo ‘Flowers.ie’ on it. He said he located this vehicle at the Hazelgrove estate in Tallaght. He said that around 11.25pm, he located the two accused men outside a house at Donomore Avenue. He confirmed that the house they were outside was the home of Mr Carlyle.
Counsel for the defence of Mr Carlyle, Dominic McGinn SC, put it to Det Harrison that part of the prosecution case placed Mr Carlyle at the car park of the Killinarden House pub at 11.24pm.
“Either the CCTV has the wrong time, or you have the wrong time,” said Mr McGinn.
Det Harrison replied that he saw the accused outside the house “in or around 11.25”.
Mr McGinn said that Det Harrison had made a signed statement in the case.
“How many minutes are you allowing for?” asked Mr McGinn.
“I saw the lads in or around 11.25; whether it was 11.26 or 11.23, I can’t say,” replied Det Harrison.
Mr McGinn asked him what allowance for time he was making. “Is it two minutes, five minutes, or ten minutes either way?” asked Mr McGinn.
“I’m not prepared to commit myself and mislead the court. It was around 11.25,” said Det Harrison.
“Could it be 11.45?” asked the defence. Det Harrison replied that it could not be 11.45. “Around 11.30?” asked Mr McGinn. “It could have been, yes,” replied the detective.
The trial continues on Friday in front of Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo and a jury of six men and six women.
