skip to main content

Evidence concludes in north Kerry murder trial

The incident happened on 4 April, 2017 near Ballyduff in north Kerry
The incident happened on 4 April, 2017 near Ballyduff in north Kerry

Evidence has finished in the trial of a north Kerry dairy farmer who is charged with the murder of a neighbouring tillage farmer.

63-year-old Michael Ferris of Rattoo denies the charges.

The trial, which is in its second week, has heard of "catastrophic injuries" inflicted by the prongs of a teleporter on the body of 73-year old Anthony Mahony.

The late Mr Mahony was in the driver's seat of his car with his safety belt on at around 8am on the morning of 4 April, 2017 on a narrow road leading to Rattoo, near Ballyduff.

His car was lifted "clear of the ground" by a New Holland teleporter, a heavy industrial machine, the trial has heard.

The forks of the boom of the teleporter had slid along and pierced the roof of the Peugeot car "like you'd open a can of beans", garda expert witness James O'Brien has said.

The use of a crow banger, a funnel type object used to scare birds, which was at the centre of issues between Mr Mahony and his neighbours.

In interviews with gardaí on the morning of the incident, the jury was told that Mr Ferris said he had blocked the road with his teleporter. He agreed he had driven the forks onto the car and he also said "it was about the crow banger".

Mr Ferris had said in the interviews with the gardaí that the crow banger used by the late Anthony Mahony on his 100 acres of wheat and other crops in Rattoo would "wake the dead".

Ms Justice Carmel Stewart told the jury of seven men and five women to return tomorrow morning for closing speeches.

On Wednesday, the jury was told Michael Ferris had no previous convictions.