Anthony Walsh pleads not guilty to Swords murder

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

Anthony Walsh pleaded not guilty to the murder of Dermot Byrne. He had admitted killing Byrne and pleaded guilty to stealing his bank card, keys and lighter.

The charges concerned events at North Street, Swords, Co Dublin, on 16 July 2017. The proceedings were reported on 11 October 2018.

Opening the prosecution case, Vincent Heneghan SC said CCTV showed Byrne attempting to pull a cigarette from Walsh’s mouth outside the Harp Bar. Security staff held Byrne while Walsh walked away with friends. The report said the CCTV did not show what happened next and that a retired garda found Byrne’s body at 2.50am.

Heneghan said a pathologist would detail more than 100 injuries and alleged that Walsh had beaten Byrne and that the beating amounted to murder. The report said Byrne died from traumatic brain injuries complicated by acute intoxication and the inhalation of blood.

The trial was continuing before Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women.