The 12 jurors were also told by the State today that the accused Ryan Kearney had told the first garda who arrived at the scene that it was "balaclava-clad men who had carried out the attack".
Mr Brendan Grehan SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the jurors would also hear that when the defendant was cautioned by gardai he had replied: "I stabbed Jeffrey but did not murder him, he was my friend, that's it".
Mr 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 8, 2024.
In his opening address to the Central Criminal Court jury today, Mr Grehan, prosecuting, said "The Lamps" on School Street is a two storey apartment complex in Kilcock, which was home to witness Breda Kearney, who the jury will hear from in due course.
Counsel said the deceased Mr Jackson had been in a relationship with Ms Kearney for over a year in February 2024.
Mr Grehan added: "Ryan Kearney was a nephew through marriage to Breda Kearney in so far as the accused's uncle Michael Kearney had been married to Breda Kearney but that relationship was no longer in existence".
In relation to the evidence against the accused, Mr Grehan said Ryan Kearney had arrived at Ms Kearney's apartment with two bags of shopping shortly before 2pm on Thursday February 8, 2024. He said Ms Kearney and Mr Jackson were in the apartment at the time.
A short time after Ryan Kearney arrived, Ms Kearney left the apartment around 3.24pm to go to the local supermarket to get more alcohol; "perhaps a bottle of vodka". Counsel said Ms Kearney was visible on CCTV footage returning in the direction of the apartment at 3.34pm.
Mr Grehan added: "It's a very tight timeframe and a very small window of opportunity for things to occur".
Detailing the evidence that will be heard, counsel said when Ms Kearney arrived back at her apartment she found Mr Jackson "in a very bad way" on the sofa, not conscious and bleeding from various wounds.
The barrister said the accused had said something to the effect of "I think I killed him, I stabbed him in the neck".
Mr Grehan said the evidence will be that Ms Kearney rang the emergency services at 3.41pm.
The barrister said the call taker was told a man had been stabbed in the apartment. "Specifically one of the things the call taker was told, which the prosecution say was by Ryan Kearney, was to the effect that a number of men in balaclavas were responsible for what had occurred inside".
The jurors, he said, would hear from a paramedic who had administered First Aid to Mr Jackson. He said the paramedic made a decision that there was no point in carrying out emergency resuscitation.
The lawyer said the panel would also hear that Ryan Kearney repeated to the first garda at the scene "the suggestion that it was balaclava-clad men who had carried out the attack".
Counsel said a knife was found on the kitchen sink and that blood was noted in various places as well as "various wounds the deceased had suffered to the stomach and chest area".
Ryan Kearney, counsel said, was arrested at the scene by Detective Sergeant Gerard Moore at 4.30pm.
During the course of his interviews Ryan Kearney claimed he had acted in self defence and been attacked by Mr Jackson "coming at him with a knife".
When the accused was released from detention Det Sgt Moore charged him with the murder of Mr Jackson. Mr Grehan said the jurors would hear that when Ryan Kearney was cautioned he had replied: "I stabbed Jeffrey but did not murder him, he was my friend, that's it".
The barrister said it is the State's case that when all the evidence had been heard the jurors would be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that Ryan Kearney had murdered the deceased and that he had "lied to the call taker about others involved as he had lied to the first garda on the scene suggesting it was men wearing balaclavas who had attacked Mr Jackson".
The lawyer also said it was the prosecution's contention that the accused's subsequent suggestion that he had acted in self defence was not supported by the evidence in the case. He said the injuries inflicted on the deceased suggest a "fairly ferocious attack" on Mr Jackson.
Mr Grehan said State pathologist Dr Sally Anne Collis found 16 separate knife injuries on the deceased. "They were distributed all around the body, head, face, chest, some on the legs; It did not fit with the scenario where Ryan Kearney suggested he had jabbed a few times having taken the knife off Mr Jackson, who attacked him".
Counsel said the accused had no injuries except a small cut to one of his fingers. In conclusion, Mr Grehan said the prosecution will submit to the jurors that the evidence doesn't fit with the accused's account of having acted in self defence.
Giving evidence this afternoon, emergency call taker for the National Ambulance Service Hayley Midleton told Mr Grehan that she got a call from a woman identifying herself as 'Breda' at 3.41pm on February 8 2024, saying that her partner had been stabbed.
The witness said Breda was stressed and upset on the phone, telling her that she had gone out to the shops.
Ms Midleton said she could hear a male voice in the background and determined at some point during the conversation that Breda wasn't able to answer her questions freely.
Ms Midleton told Mr Grehan that the man on the call gave a version of a story "about men coming in with balaclavas". She recalled being told that the deceased had stab wounds around the neck, chest and stomach areas.
The prosecution then played the 999 call made by Breda Kearney to the jury.
Mr Grehan told the jury that the male voice heard coming on the phone line was Ryan Kearney, who had said: "He has a slashing wound, let me talk to her".
When the call taker asks whether the person "who done it' was nearby, Ms Kearney replies "yes". Ms Kearney went on to say that her partner has "blood all over him, all over his stomach and neck".
Ms Kearney confirmed to the call taker that she knew "who done this" but when asked who she made no reply.
When asked for a fourth time who had stabbed Mr Jackson, Ms Kearney replied: "He here".
"Are you unable to speak freely?" asked the call taker to which Ms Kearney replied "yes".
Ms Kearney can be heard telling someone: "Don't touch him, you done this". The call taker tells Ms Kearney to press down firmly on the wound.
Ryan Kearney can be heard taking over the conversation and asking the call taker where the main artery is in the stomach.
The accused went on to say that Mr Jackson had blood coming out his nose.
When the call taker asks how many times Mr Jackson was stabbed, Mr Kearney said he didn't know. "There was an argument between him and his friend, does that matter?" asked the accused.
Mr Kearney said: "The one on his stomach doesn't look that bad, it's the one on the neck". The accused went on to ask the call taker whether she thought it was going to be alright.
When asked who had done this to Mr Jackson and what they looked like, Mr Kearney said "I don't know, two fellas in black balaclavas".
The accused can then be heard saying "I think he's gone".
In cross-examination, Ms Midleton agreed with Paul Comiskey O'Keeffe BL, defending, that his client could be heard on the call telling Ms Kearney on two occasions "don't bother lying".
The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury of three men and nine women. It is expected to last two weeks.
