Fionnuala Walsh

A man who stabbed his friend and neighbor “in boiling blood” after being kicked out of his home has been found guilty of murder.

Patrick Murphy reportedly told gardaí: “I am responsible. “I was scared, that’s why I took the knife,” he denied the claim that the defendant acted in self-defense.

Twelve jurors at the Central Criminal Court deliberated for just two hours and two minutes before delivering a unanimous verdict on Thursday against Murphy, 52, who admitted killing his friend Joseph Brosnan.

Mr Murphy, of no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Brosnan at Abbey Court in Tralee on May 22, 2022.

The hearing heard the dead man lived in a flat in Abbey Court. He had previously worked at a direct supply center outside the city, where he met and befriended Polish national Kamil Lisowski.

Prosecuting barrister Patrick Gageby SC told the jury that Mr Brosnan helped Mr Lisowski settle in and move into the flat and they became good friends.

On the date in question, Mr Lisowski finished his work at quarter to eight in the morning and called his friend Mr Brosnan.

Mr Gageby said there was drinking and the pair sat together watching television.

At about 3 p.m., Mr. Murphy called to Mr. Brosnan’s house. The barrister told the jury that more drinking at home resulted in some insults being exchanged between Mr Lisowski and Mr Murphy.

“It all went down, but not before Mr. Lisowski slapped Mr. Murphy in the face,” Mr. Gageby said.

Things calmed down and people shook hands but the issue “reignited” and Patrick Murphy was asked to leave.

The lawyer said that at a quarter to seven that evening, Patrick Murphy returned and apologized. He said the jury would hear that Mr Murphy was “violently pushed out” and fell to the ground outside.

A short time later Mr Brosnan opened the door again for Mr Murphy and told the defendant to leave.

The barrister said Mr Murphy was “armed with a fairly large kitchen knife and used it to stab Mr Brosnan”.

The deceased was stabbed three times, with a second stab wound to Mr Brosnan’s back proving fatal because the stab penetrated the pericardial sac around the deceased’s heart, causing massive bleeding and causing death to occur “fairly quickly”.

The lawyer said Mr Brosnan was “aware he was seriously injured and told Mr Lisowski: ‘I’m dying’”.

“The ambulance and gardaí were called but unfortunately he (Mr Brosnan) died lying on the sofa in his flat,” Mr Gageby said.

The prosecution’s contention was that Murphy had “a clear intent to kill or cause serious injury.”

The jury also heard from several security officers, including Garda James Fairbrother, who spoke to Mr Murphy at the scene.

Murphy told gardai he was “a peaceful man and did not know who stabbed the deceased.”

When arrested and interrogated, Murphy suggested the victim was possibly having a seizure and eventually admitted bringing a knife to the scene and stabbing Mr Brosnan.

Presenting a summary of the evidence in the case on Wednesday, the trial judge, Mr Justice Paul Burns, reminded the jury that they had heard evidence from residents near Mr Brosnan’s flat who said they had heard arguments; A woman also said she saw Murphy holding a gun. knife in hand.

The woman said Murphy was “not in this world” because his eyes were “really big” and he looked confused.

Another eyewitness stated that he heard glass breaking and saw a man with a stone and a knife in his hand, while a waiter from a nearby restaurant also said that he saw and heard a man shouting and screaming at the door of the apartment. describes him as “becoming psychotic”.

Kamil Lisowski also gave evidence at the trial, telling the jury that Murphy came to the door “to take revenge” and stabbed Mr Brosnan “like sudden fire”.

“My best friend was dying in my hands,” the eyewitness told the jury.

The jury heard Murphy told gardaí he had started drinking and taking pills before several fights broke out that day.

“At one point I was getting beaten. A knife was produced. I felt very bad and took a knife to defend myself. “I didn’t mean to stab Joe,” Murphy said in the Garda interview.

Murphy said the group drank brandy, vodka and wine, and he took tablets and shared them with the community.

“I know it was me. I had a knife. I know it was me who had the knife,” Murphy told gardai, saying he was a lifelong friend of Mr Brosnan.

“Look, I had the knife, I am responsible. I took the knife in my hand because I was afraid. I don’t remember stabbing Joe, but it must have been like that. “I remember swinging the knife back,” he said, adding that he would not knowingly harm Mr. Brosnan.

The defense had claimed that Murphy’s daughter was “provoked” to stab her neighbor with “boiling blood”.

Mr Brendan Grehan SC, for the defence, said witnesses saw Murphy “walking around” in an “agitated state” with a knife and a stone in each hand. He said Murphy was “acting with his blood boiling, angry or out of control.”

“Something must have happened to cause this to happen,” Mr. Grehan said, claiming the causative factor was “the living daylights of being thrown into the ground.” Mr Grehan claimed, although this was denied by Mr Lisowski, that in this case it was Mr Lisowski and possibly Mr Brosnan who had beaten him to the ground, sending him into a rage.

He said that “the beating of Mr. Lisowski and perhaps Joseph Brosnan was an act of provocation.”

Before beginning their deliberations, Mr Justice Burns told the jury that two verdicts were open: guilty of murder or guilty of manslaughter but not murder. He also said that the decision should be unanimous.

After the jury of eight men and four women delivered their verdict, His Honor Judge Burns thanked them for their time and attention during the trial and excused them from jury service for the next seven years.

The case was postponed to December 16 for statements to the victims and the imposition of sentences, and Murphy was taken into custody.