A Dublin man is accused of murdering his father by crushing his head and repeatedly stabbing him before leaving his decomposing body in the flat they shared for about one week, a Central Criminal Court jury has heard.
Prosecuting barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor opened Thursday’s trial of Seth Whelan (36) who responded “I don’t know” when arraigned earlier this week on a charge of murdering Michael Whelan (64). Whelan’s barrister entered a plea of not guilty on behalf of his client.
Lawlor told the jury of six men and six women that gardaí found Michael Whelan’s body on the floor of the flat he shared with the accused in Herberton Park, Rialto, Dublin 8, on February 27th, 2024. She said the alarm was raised by a neighbour who asked gardaí to carry out a welfare check after he became concerned that he had not seen Michael Whelan for some days.
When they arrived, gardaí noticed a putrid smell and when they entered the flat, they could immediately see that the deceased had met a violent death, Lawlor said. He was lying on his back and surrounded by extensive blood staining.
Seth Whelan arrived at the flat while gardaí were there and Lawlor said the jury will hear about his demeanour and what he said at that time. She said the jury would also hear there was no evidence of forced entry and when gardaí trawled CCTV footage, they established that Seth Whelan was the only person to enter or leave over the previous week.
Gardaí also established that Michael Whelan was not seen alive after he entered the flat on February 19th, eight days before the discovery of his body.
Counsel said a pathologist would tell the trial that Michael Whelan died from blunt force trauma to the head and two stab wounds that penetrated his heart and lungs. A further 41 stab wounds were inflicted after he died, Lawlor said.
Counsel told the jury that the deceased’s “skull and face were crushed in” and she asked the jury to consider that the injuries he suffered suggest that the person who inflicted them intended to cause death.
The pathologist was also able to say that the body had lain for approximately one week, meaning he died on February 19th or 20th. During the period between when the prosecution says Michael Whelan died and when his body was found, Lawlor said the accused sent a message to an acquaintance telling him his father had died.
Lawlor said this and other messages sent during that time would be relevant when the jury considered that in his Garda interviews, Seth Whelan denied knowing that his father was dead.
Lawlor also told the jury that there would be no evidence Seth Whelan was suffering from a mental disorder at the time of his father’s death. She said the jury may have heard of cases where a person is found to be legally insane and therefore not responsible for their actions.
However, she added: “I want to be clear, lest there be any misapprehension, that does not arise in this case ... That is not something you are going to be asked to look at.”
The trial continues before Judge Caroline Biggs.