A 73-year-old Kerry farmer died from “absolutely horrific injuries” to his upper body, his face and skull after he was repeatedly stabbed by the prongs of a teleporter, a murder trial has been told.
Michael Ferris, of Rattoo, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, aged 63, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Tralee to the murder of John Anthony O'Mahony aged 73 , of Ardoughter, Ballyduff, at Rattoo on April 4th, 2017.
"He had catastrophic injuries. They were horrific injuries, absolutely horrific injuries to his upper body, to his face, to his skull. They were absolutely horrific," Garda Pat Naughton told prosecuting counsel, Patrick McGrath, SC.
State pathologist said Mr O’Mahony’s body was found with his seat belt partially around him, his head slumped on his chest, while there was a large amount of broken glass in the car.
A large portion of his bowel could be seen protruding from his shirt. His lacerated liver was found at the front well of the driver’s seat, and his lacerated heart was found between the side of the door and the driver’s seat. A half set of dentures was under the seat.
He had suffered multiple injuries and fractures and “gaping wounds”. One of the wounds had gone right through the skull and brain tissue could be seen. There were injuries to the mouth, abrasions to the limbs, multiple fractures of the pelvis, injury to the groin, injury to the lungs. There were at least five penetrating wounds; two of them had gone right through the body, to the back, the pathologist said, adding that his liver had been “torn, totally pulped”. Death would have been immediate, she said.