A homeless man who died shortly after being found with severe injuries in a Cork park suffered brain swelling and cardiac arrest following severe blunt force head and facial trauma, a murder trial has heard.
Timmy Hourihane, 53, was originally from Sheep's Head in west Cork, but was living in a tented area at Mardyke Walk in Cork city when he was fatally injured on 13 October 2019. He was pronounced dead in hospital in the early hours of that morning.
James Brady, 28, of Shannon View, Mayfield, Cork, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr Hourihane.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster told the sixth day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court in Waterford that a post mortem examination she conducted on Mr Hourihane’s body at Cork University Hospital revealed he had 17 different injuries to his face.
These included lacerations, extensive bruising and swelling and a fractured lower jawbone. There was "severe trauma" to the mouth.
He also had bruising to his legs and arm, as well as to his lower back, and had lost a number of teeth, the court heard.
Dr Bolster said the cause of Mr Hourihane’s death was inhalation of blood with extensive bleeding in the lungs, due to severe blunt force head and facial trauma, with a traumatic cardiac arrest causing swelling and a lack of blood supply to the brain.
She said that prior to carrying out the post-mortem, she was brought by gardaí to the area at Mardyke Walk where Mr Hourihane had been found severely injured.
She saw an indentation on the ground which had a smearing of blood; blood spatters on a wall; a plastic bag which was spattered with blood; loose teeth; as well as resuscitation equipment which would have been used by firefighters and paramedics called to the scene.
A tent had been severely burned and an adjacent tent had a burnt hole in it while branches of a nearby tree were extensively fire-damaged, she said.
Mr Hourihane was referred to as "John Doe" when initially brought to hospital, she said, as it was not then known who he was and he was wearing a silver ring with the letters "DAD" inscribed.
The trial continues.
