A man accused of murdering a pensioner in her home allegedly headbutted the deceased’s daughter the night before the alleged killing, his trial heard Friday.
Evidence was also heard on Friday that a daughter of the deceased pensioner previously threatened to stab her with a knife.
The deceased, Josephine Ray (89), known as Josie, of St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, Co Tipperary, was found allegedly strangled and smothered in her bed, on August 4th, 2024.
Hasan Ali Gori (52), originally from Chad, Africa, and with an address at St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Limerick, to a single charge of murdering Ray.
At the time, Ali Gori was living in Josie Ray’s home, while in a relationship with her daughter, Mary Ray, who has a learning disability.
The court has heard from several witnesses that said Josie Ray, Mary Ray and Ali Gori were constantly arguing with one another and their quarrelling was often “volatile” and foul-mouthed.
Josie Ray did not approve of Mary Ray’s relationship with Ali Gori, and Mary Ray suspected Ali Gori of being unfaithful to her, the court heard.
On Friday, Charlotte Moran, a girlfriend of a grandson of the deceased, gave evidence she saw the accused, Ali Gori, “headbutting” Mary Ray outside Josie Ray’s house on the night before the alleged killing.
Moran said Ali Gori “looked very cross” and he “gave a headbutt to her face”.
Moran said she also heard Ali Gori shouting four times: “No one will murder me.”
“He was very cross, he was just shouting, he leaned in his head into Mary’s forehead,” said Moran.
The witness said she also saw Ali Gori shoving Mary.
Josie Ray did not approve of Mary having relationships with men and her bringing the men back to her house. She also “did not like” Ali Gori, members of her family said.
Two of the deceased’s grandchildren told the court that, prior to her death, they had each contacted gardaí, social workers and their local authority, to voice concerns for their grandmother’s welfare in her home, while she was living with the accused and her daughter Mary.
Louise Walsh told the court that Josie was very protective of Mary because of her intellectual disability and that she would often chaperone Mary when her daughter would travel by bus from their home in Tipperary to meet men in Limerick.
Walsh said Josie Ray would sometimes sleep rough on benches in Limerick waiting for Mary, if she spent the night in the city.
Walsh agreed with the accused’s barrister, Aidan Doyle, that it upset Josie that Mary had a penchant for African men specifically.
“Yeah, it used to really agitate [Josie] a lot,” said Walsh.
The prosecution’s case is that Ali Gori murdered Josie Ray by strangulation and smothering her.
The trial continues on Tuesday.