A murder trial in Limerick has been told that a 41-year-old Limerick man died after receiving a dozen stab wounds inflicted with a hedge-trimmer.
Patrick Crawford died after he was stabbed during a confrontation near his home in Limerick on 2 June, 2002. Two other Limerick men have denied murdering him.
On the opening day of his murder trial, the jury of 11 men and one woman was told that Mr Crawford returned home at around 1.40am on 2 June from watching an Ireland football match at a local pub.
There was a confrontation with two other men outside his house at Ballygrennan Close, a cul-de-sac of houses in the Moyross estate.
The State alleges that prior to the row, two men had walked up from the other side of the road carrying a number of items including a slash hook and a golf club.
Mr Crawford received a dozen stab wounds which were inflicted with hedge-trimmer found at the scene of the row. However, the fatal wound to his chest was inflicted with some other implement.
The two accused men, 28-year-old Patrick Desmond of St Munchin's Street, St Mary's Park in the city and 18-year-old Stuart Moloney of Castlepark, Moyross, deny the murder.
It is alleged that Stuart Moloney made admissions that he was involved in the attack but Patrick Desmond categorically denied being involved.
The court also heard that earlier in the day there had been some words between the victim and another man about a bike on a green area near Mr Crawford's home and that Desmond and Moloney had been present.
Two new jury members empanelled
The trial before Mr Justice Barry White is continuing and is likely to last into next week. Earlier, an additional two new jury members were empanelled.
The trial had been adjourned since last Thursday after two of the original jury asked to be excused.
An additional 120 summonses were issued and 26 of those turned up in court today.
