A man who was worried about his missing cat searched in the bushes of a derelict neighbouring period house only to find a headless and dismembered body which he initially thought was a mannequin, a murder trial in Cork has heard.
Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu, 30, who is a native of Branistea, Damobovita County, in Romania, is on trial at a Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork for the murder of 64-year-old Francis 'Frankie' Dunne.
Mr Dunne, was found dead in the back garden of Castlegreine House on Boreenmanna Road in Cork on 28 December 2019.
Mr Nicholescu, who worked as a chef in Cork, denies any involvement in the murder.
Joseph Pierce, who has lived off Boreenmanna Road for two decades, told the second day of the trial that he received a call at work from his partner on the afternoon of 28 December 2019. She told him that their cat was missing.
When Mr Pierce returned home, he starting looking for the cat. He called to neighbouring houses and all of his "long-standing" neighbours obliged him and allowed him to search their gardens and sheds.
He went to a house that extended behind Castlegreine and his neighbour, Brendan Kerrigan, gave him permission to search hedges and bushes in his property.
Mr Pierce had a look over the wall of Castlegreine House, which is known locally as 'The Castle'. The house had not been occupied for a few years.
Mr Pierce said he decided it might be a good idea to have a quick sweep of the garden of Castlegreine in search of the missing cat.
Mr Kerrigan gave him a step ladder and he gained access to the back garden of Castlegreine. He told the court he was hoping to find his cat. However, Mr Pierce instead uncovered a naked, dismembered body.
"I went back over the wall to my neighbour with the step ladder and told him what I had found. We rang Anglesea Street Garda Station," said Mr Pierce.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott and the jury heard that gardaí were on the scene within minutes.
Mr Kerrigan said that Castlegreine had been empty for a few years. When asked if he had been aware that people sometimes squatted or drank onsite, he said that he was, but that it had "never infringed" on his privacy.
He told the court that he had not noticed any activity in the property around the Christmas period.
Garda Brian Barron and Garda Michael Costello attended the scene where they found the body under a bush.
The body was later taken to the morgue at Cork University Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Garda Padraig Harrington said when he arrived at the scene on the afternoon of 28 December he looked under the bush and noted the body of a person with no head and no arms.
Dt Garda Harrington said that he spoke to a man from Clanmornin House, a nearby dry house for people who suffer from alcohol problems. Mr Dunne had resided onsite for a few months previously.
The man told him that two residents were missing from Clanmornin House. One of the residents matched a description of Mr Dunne.
The trial also heard evidence from gardaí that a money order made out to another man was found in Castlegreine House. The sender's name was Mr Ionut Cosmin Nicholescu.
Jurors were told that when gardaí entered the premises they noted that one room in Castlegreine House showed signs of being used. Gardaí found clothing and money onsite.
Defence counsel Philipp Rahn put it to a garda witness that items in the names of other people were also found in Castlegreine House.
The witness confirmed that this was the case. Heart medication in the name of Frankie Dunne was found in the garden of the property.
Mr Ray Boland, prosecuting barrister, previously told the jury that the accused was employed as a chef in the Silver Quay pub in Cork city at the time of the murder.
Mr Nicholescu is charged that, on a date unknown between 27-28 December 2019 at Castlegreine, he murdered Frankie Dunne contrary to common law.
The trial, which is expected to last up to three weeks, continues before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and the jury.
