A 27-year-old man accused of murder has told his trial at the Central Criminal Court that he stabbed another man 13 times 'by accident'.
Stephen Penrose, of no fixed abode, broke down in the witness box as he described how he stabbed David Sharkey while trying to steal drugs at an apartment in Navan last year.
He said he and his friend had planned to rob Mr Sharkey when he delivered heroin to her apartment at Black Castle in Navan.
He had earlier bought a knife in a local supermarket. He had never met David Sharkey before.
He said Mr Sharkey struggled with him as he tried to escape with the drugs and he stabbed him.
He said Mr Sharkey was armed with a knife and swiped at him.
Under cross-examination he said he had been using heroin for five years. He accepted that he only ever smoked heroin and had never injected it.
He said: 'Heroin takes over your life whether you smoke it or inject it.'
He could not explain why he had no stab wounds while Mr Sharkey had 13 wounds.
He denied that he had lied about Mr Sharkey having a knife because he knew this would be important to his case.
He accepted that he had planned to burn out David Sharkey's car, which contained his body in the boot when he abandoned it at Dunsink Lane in Finglas.
He said he was sorry for what had happened and said he thought about it every day.
He said he lost control on the day and everything happened quickly and in a panic.
He said it was only since giving up drugs in the past year that he could see how he had messed up.
Stephen Penrose denies murder but admits manslaughter.
The jury is expected to begin considering a verdict tomorrow.
