A man has gone on trial for the murder of his former flatmate and assault causing serious harm to his own wife in an apartment in Drogheda last year.
Shahzad Hussain, aged 31, of Fitzwilliam Court, Dyer Street, Drogheda denies the charges.
The case is expected to last two weeks.
Originally from Pakistan, Mr Hussein came to Ireland in April 2010 to be with his wife Rashda Bibi Haider.
He met her for the first time in June 2006, they married and lived near Lahore, but she left to work first in Holland, then in Ireland and he followed her here.
The couple lived in an apartment in Fitzwilliam Court, Dyer Street in Drogheda with Muhammad Arif, aged 32, who was also from Pakistan, but the Central Criminal Court heard today that unhappy differences arose in the marriage and Ms Haider left and moved to Dublin.
Her husband also moved out but tried to contact his wife and asked her sister and an Iman to intervene.
On the 6 January last year, the jury was told, that Ms Haider was in the fifth floor Drogheda apartment when Mr Hussein got the complex's facilities manager to let him in. Mr Arif was also there.
The prosecution's case is that Mr Hussein got a kitchen knife and stabbed Muhammad Arif in the kitchen living room.
It is also alleged he stabbed his wife twice in the liver and put the knife to her throat leaving a superficial cut.
Prosecuting counsel Aileen Donnelly said Mr Arif called for help out the window and rang the gardaí but collapsed and later died in hospital.
Ms Haider, she said, underwent life saving surgery and will give evidence in the murder trial.
Mr Hussain has pleaded not guilty to both charges - the murder of Mr Arif and assault causing harm to his wife Ms Haider.
The trial under Mr Justice Barry White is expected to last two weeks.
