The trial of two people accused of stabbing a taxi-driver to death has heard the victim pleaded for help from a group of teenage girls as he was attacked.
Carlos Byrne, 22, and Lindsey Fahy, 25, both of Linnetsfield square, Clonee, Co Meath deny murdering 31-year-old Mark Smith at Fortlawn, Blanchardstown, Dublin on 18 March 2008.
A Dublin teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told the Central Criminal Court via video link that she was in her friend’s front garden at Fortlawn when the stabbing occurred.
‘The taxi-driver was being stabbed all over his chest and face and he said to us “Please will somebody help me,”’ she said.
It is the prosecutions case that Carlos Byrne and Lindsey Fahey met up with Mr Smith at Linnetsfield and were then driven by Mr Smith to Fortlawn.
It is alleged when they arrived Mr Byrne repeatedly stabbed Mr Smith in a frenzied attack and Lindsey Fahey aided and abetted him by her presence and encouragement, as well as her physical involvement.
The young witness told the court that she went into her friend's house to get help, the police were called and her friend's cousin Alan Fahey came out onto the street and took the knife from Mr Byrne.
She said; 'I saw Alan Fahey walk towards Carlos and they were talking about something and then he grabbed the knife off Carlos.'
The court heard that after Mr Byrne had been disarmed he continued attacking Mr Smith, repeatedly punching him in the face.
The teenage girl said: 'Carlos started to punch the taxi-driver when Allen took the knife off him, he was on top of him and it looked like he was punching him in the face.'
Raymond Donnelly, who was driving in the Fortlawn area on the night of the incident said he saw Mr Byrne covered in blood and wielding a knife.
He said; 'He crossed the path of my car and he was covered in blood, his face was 70% covered in blood and he was wielding a knife, about three or four inches in length.'
Ray O'Gorman a resident of Fortlawn told the jury that on the night of the incident he witnessed, from the window of his home, Mr Byrne stab Mr Smith and Ms Fahy stamp on his chest.
He said; 'I saw a man brutally stabbed by Carlos then Lindsey Fahy came up the road and held onto the gate and was stamping on the man who was on the ground.'
The trial continues before Mr Justice Butler and a jury of six men and six women.
