Anthony Walsh murder trial to move to next phase

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Anthony Walsh’s murder trial at the Central Criminal Court was due to move to its next phase after the prosecution completed its evidence. The proceedings were reported on 19 October 2018.

Walsh pleaded not guilty to murdering Dermot Byrne but guilty to his manslaughter. He also pleaded guilty to stealing Byrne’s bank card, keys and a Zippo lighter. The offences concerned events outside a school at North St, Swords, Co Dublin, on 16 July 2017.

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster said Byrne died from traumatic brain injury with blunt force trauma to the head, neck and chest and fractured ribs. She said his condition was complicated by a high level of alcohol and inhalation of blood, but survival would have been unlikely even without alcohol because of the extent of his injuries.

The report said the trial would move to its next phase on Monday before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women.