A 35-year-old man has gone on trial accused of murdering John 'King' O’Connor in New Ross, Co Wexford, on New Year’s Eve 2024.
Wayne Roche, previously of Dominic’s Place in Waterford city, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Mr O’Connor on 31 December 2024.
The trial is taking place before a jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court in Waterford.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Dean Kelly SC told the court that the accused had been in a relationship with Mr O’Connor’s daughter at the time the alleged offence occurred.
Mr Kelly said although the couple were not married, Mr O’Connor was the accused’s de-facto father-in-law.
He also told the court that Mr O’Connor had acquired the nickname ‘King’ due to his "sporting prowess" earlier in life.
Mr Kelly said the case would centre around the events that took place at Mr O’Connor’s apartment in the Cluain Fada housing estate in New Ross on 30 and 31 December 2024.
He said that it is the State’s case that the two men had been socialising at the property on the night of 30 December 2024.
The court heard that on the morning of 31 December 2024, Mr O’Connor was found covered in blood on the floor of his apartment by his daughter, who called the emergency services.
Mr O’Connor was subsequently pronounced dead at the scene.
The court was told a post-mortem examination was carried out on the body of the deceased on 1 January 2025 by State Pathologist Dr Yvonne McCartney.
On day one of the trial, Garda Padraig Conne from the Garda Technical Bureau provided the court with maps he had drawn of Mr O’Connor’s first-floor apartment, the Cluain Fada housing estate, and the surrounding area.
The court then heard evidence from Detective Garda Cathal Hannigan, also from the technical bureau, who faced questions about some of the photographs that had been taken by investigating gardaí to document the crime scene.
Det Gda Hannigan agreed with John Byrne SC for the defence that blood spatter can provide assistance with "ascertaining how something might have happened" and that a particular "expertise" is required when such evidence is being examined.
Det Gda Hannigan accepted that no one from Forensic Science Ireland had attended the scene on the morning in question, but he said this was not necessary as the evidence could be studied by the relevant personnel through the photographs that were taken by gardaí at the scene.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath and the jury tomorrow. Three weeks have been set aside for the trial to be heard.
Several members of Mr O’Connor’s family were present in court for the opening day of the trial.
