“An absolute gentleman” appeared “starving” and “frightened” in the months before his death, having told friends that a young man whom he had put up in his home and now stands accused of murder was demanding money from him, witnesses have told a Central Criminal Court trial.
The jury were also told that the accused’s mother said she saw her son stabbing Peter Kennedy in the back of the neck with a five-inch blade as he shouted for help in his own home. The jury heard that the accused’s mother also witnessed her son threatening to kill the pensioner.
Brian Ibe (23) denies murdering Mr Kennedy (65), but admits causing his death, after the deceased had offered Mr Ibe and his mother the use of his home and address until they found accommodation.
Mr Ibe, of no fixed abode and formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, and the Peter McVerry Trust, Dublin 12, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Mr Kennedy in Newbridge between April 28th, 2020, and May 12th, 2020.
Ibe has also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to a charge of assault causing harm to Garda Brendan O’Donnell at Newbridge Garda station on April 29th, 2020.
At the Central Criminal Court on Thursday, Lisa Swords, who knew Mr Kennedy for 36 years, told Fiona Murphy SC, prosecuting, that Mr Kennedy was “always a good friend”, who was good to her family.
Ms Swords said she met Mr Kennedy over Christmas 2019 and that “he looked like he was starving”.
Pauline Harty was a friend and neighbour of Mr Kennedy for 10 years and said he was a “total, absolute gentleman, who could not see any bad in anyone and would help them”.
In a statement read into the court by Ms Murphy, Mr Ibe’s mother, Martha, said she saw her son stabbing Mr Kennedy in the back of the neck in an upstairs bedroom.
Mrs Ibe said her son went “straight for Peter” with a four-to-five-inch blade and that she could hear Mr Kennedy shouting for help and for gardaí to be called.
The pathology report by Dr Heidi Okkers read that Mr Kennedy died of brain injury caused by traumatic head injuries.
The trial is expected to last up to two weeks and continues on Friday in front of Mr Justice Paul Burns and a jury of seven women and five men.
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