A teenager stabbed another boy to death in a Dublin park during a "melee" following a row over a bicycle, a barrister has told the Central Criminal Court.
A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, has pleaded not guilty to the murder, but guilty to the manslaughter of 18-year-old Azzam Raguragui at Finsbury Park in Dundrum last year.
James Dwyer SC told the jury that it is the State's case that the accused was not acting in self-defence when he stabbed Azzam five times.
Mr Dwyer said the trial arises out of a confrontation between two groups of youths with the accused in one group and Azzam in the other.
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He said that around 5pm on 10 May 2019, Azzam was with other teenagers in an area known as Rockfield near the Balally Luas stop.
Two associates of the accused arrived and there was a suggestion that a bicycle had been taken from a friend of Azzam's and a threat was made by one of the members of the accused's group.
Mr Dwyer said that Azzam responded by telling this person that he was a "dead man".
The two youths associated with the accused left and went to a house where other members of their group, including the accused, had gathered.
Together they travelled to Dundrum to confront the other group. The accused, Mr Dwyer said, had armed himself with a knife.
He told the jury that Azzam was talking to a member of the accused's group when "suddenly, violence erupts".
He said it is not clear who dealt the first blow but the situation "erupted into a melee".
The accused and Azzam engaged one another, counsel said, adding: "It would appear that [the accused] was seen running after Azzam Raguragui who ran up a hill and slipped and fell and while on the ground [the accused] stabbed him repeatedly."
Azzam was pronounced dead in a hospital that evening.
The accused went to Dundrum Garda Station the following day and made a voluntary statement in which he admitted to stabbing Azzam and said he did so in self-defence.
He also went with gardaí to Finsbury Park and pointed out where he had thrown the knife. Gardaí recovered it and forensic testing showed that blood on the knife matched that of Azzam's.
Mr Dwyer said the prosecution will bring evidence that they say shows the accused is guilty of murder and "did not act in any way motivated by self-defence".
