Man (39) told gardaí he stabbed his aunt's partner 'but did not murder him'

Alison O’Riordan

A 39-year-old man told gardaí that he stabbed his aunt's 50-year-old partner "but did not murder him" after he was formally charged, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.

Ryan Kearney (39), with an address at Loughnamona Drive, Leixlip, Co Kildare has pleaded not guilty to murdering Jeffrey Jackson (50) at The Lamps, School Street, Kilcock, Co Kildare on February 8th, 2024.

Mr Jackson's partner, Breda Kearney, has given evidence that when she returned home after a brief trip to the shop she was met by her bloodied nephew Ryan Kearney, who told her he had stabbed her partner in the neck and thought he was dead.

Detective Sergeant Gerard Moore today told Brendan Grehan SC, prosecuting, that while in the back of a garda vehicle en-route to Leixlip Garda Station on February 8th, Mr Kearney commented that he had tried "to stop the bleeding stab wound" on Mr Jackson's neck and "didn't realise" a stab wound to the deceased's belly "was so bad".

The detective said Mr Kearney was deemed unfit for interview by the doctor who had attended to him in the garda station.

Mr Kearney was taken to Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown for medical treatment later that day, where he stayed until February 9th.

The witness said that when Mr Kearney was charged with the murder of Mr Jackson at 3:10pm on February 10th, the accused replied: "I stabbed Jeffrey but did not murder him, he was my friend, that's it".

Under cross-examination, Det Sgt Moore agreed with Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, that he had arrested his client on suspicion of murder at 4:30pm on February 8th after arriving at The Lamps in Kilcock.

He agreed the accused had made an indiscernible reply because he was intoxicated.

Det Sgt Moore also agreed with the barrister that he had seen "five clear stab wounds" on Mr Jackson's abdomen.

In re-examination, Mr Grehan asked the detective what had made him come to the conclusion that the accused was intoxicated. The witness said Mr Kearney's speech was slurred and he could smell intoxicating liquor from him.

The next witness, Dr Affan Bajwa, told Mr Grehan he had arrived at Leixlip Garda Station before 5pm on February 8 and examined the accused in a cell for the purpose of assessing his fitness for questioning.

The doctor said Mr Kearney was lying down and there was an obvious odour of alcohol in the cell. He said the accused, who was red-faced with shiny eyes, was uncooperative and refused any further examination.

The witness concluded that Mr Kearney was highly intoxicated and deemed him unfit for questioning by gardaí for six hours. The accused's questioning was suspended from 5:05pm until 11:05pm on February 8th.

In his opening speech, Mr Grehan told the jury that evidence of 16 separate knife injuries suffered by Mr Jackson during what the prosecution say was a "ferocious attack" in the apartment did not fit with Mr Kearney's account of having stabbed the deceased in self defence.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury of three men and nine women.