A 31-year-old charity worker was stabbed to death during "a straightener" because of a feud between families the Central Criminal Court has heard.
Andrew Lacey, 35, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Derek Reddin in Loughlinstown in south Dublin three-and-a-half years ago.
Mr Lacey was out playing darts with a friend, Mark Roe, in the Lough Inn pub in Loughlinstown on 14 October 2019.
Afterwards they got a takeaway in the Roma chip shop next door and were walking home when the court heard that they encountered Mr Reddin and his cousin at Loughlinstown Drive.
At 11.56pm a fight broke out during which Mr Reddin was stabbed in the heart.
Senior Counsel Roisin Lacey said that after the fatal stabbing, two calls were made on Mr Lacey's phone which did not connect, but one 'Gav2' called back and the conversation lasted 45 seconds before Mr Lacey called 999 at 12.01am.
She told the jury that evidence will be heard that Mr Reddin was in Loughlinstown that night for "a straightener with Andrew Lacey". Ms Lacey explained that he was there for a "fight" and was "not there by coincidence". She said there was a history of animosity and feuding between associates of both men.
The court heard that Mr Lacey told the operator that he was being chased by people with knives and baseball bats, but his phone went dead and he called 999 again on Mr Roe's phone.
Mr Lacey told the operator that two people had attacked him with a knife and a baseball bat and that he was "after grabbing the knife and turning it back on him."
He was put on hold and the court was told that during that time he was recorded saying "what will we do, they jumped on us yeah, we had no weapons, we were eating from the chipper around the corner."
They also took photos and videos of the scene on Mr Roe’s phone. A knife, which the prosecution said contains the victim’s DNA, was also recovered from the scene.
Mr Lacey was arrested and interviewed and the court heard he told gardaí that he and Mr Roe were returning from the pub when they were attacked by two men who came out of bushes.
He said he presumed they had bats, that Mr Reddin struck him twice with a bat and that he took out a work knife from a pocket to repel him.
The court heard that Mr Lacey said that Mr Reddin lunged at him with a bat, there was a scuffle and that Mr Lacey was not aware he had stabbed Mr Reddin.
He said he motioned at Mr Reddin's cousin who was tackling Mr Roe and told him to "leave it out". He said when looked back he first saw Mr Reddin standing over Mr Roe with a baseball bat and when he looked again, Mr Reddin was on the ground. He said he then rang for an ambulance.
The court also heard that Mr Lacey told gardaí that there was trouble between his family and Mr Reddin but that he never had any dealings with him and that Mr Reddin may have mistaken him for his brother.
The trial is expected to last two weeks.
