The trial of six men charged with the kidnap, rape and murder of a teenager in the Berkshire town of Reading last year opened today.
The body of Mary-Ann Leneghan, whose family is from Co Mayo, was found in a park in the town last May.
The accused, all from London, deny charges of murder, attempted murder, kidnap, rape and causing grievous bodily harm.
16-year-old schoolgirl Mary-Ann and an 18-year-old female friend, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were abducted by a gang of men from the car park of a disused pub in Reading.
They were taken to a guesthouse where they were subjected to a violent ordeal which included sexual assaults over several hours before being dumped in a nearby park.
Mary-Ann died of a single stab wound to the neck but her friend survived and, despite having been shot in the head and left for dead, she managed to flag down a passer-by.
The court was told today that the alleged attacks on the two victims had been to exact revenge for a robbery the previous month.
Mary-Ann's friend will be a key prosecution witness during the trial which is expected to last for at least two months.
Mary-Ann's father, Bertie Leneghan, is a builder from Bangor Erris in Co Mayo; he moved to England in 1972.
