Courts / Kerry / Report
Murder accused came to door to 'revenge', eyewitness tells trial jury
Summary
Patrick Murphy, 52, who has no fixed abode, pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter in the death of Joseph Brosnan at Abbey Court, Tralee, on 22 May 2022. According to the Director of Public Prosecutions' counsel, Murphy had been invited to Brosnan's home around 3 pm, where a drinking session led to an insult between Brosnan's friend Kamil Lisowski and Murphy. After Lisowski slapped Murphy, the situation calmed but later escalated. Murphy was asked to leave, returned around 6:45 pm, and was pushed out of the apartment. He then entered the front door, armed with a large kitchen knife, and stabbed Brosnan. Lisowski testified that Murphy did not hesitate and stabbed Brosnan "like rapid fire" to "revenge" for being hit. The jury heard that the knife was a black‑handled kitchen knife, 20.5 cm long, with blood traces matching both Murphy's and Brosnan's DNA. The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Burns.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Murder accused came to door to 'revenge', eyewitness tells trial jury. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- May 22, 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-11-15 Publication
Why: Mr Lisowski today (FRIDAY) gave evidence to the trial, where defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC put it to him under cross-examination that Mr Murphy may have come to the door with a knife in order to frighten him. Defence account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Places mentioned
- Later on in the Garda station
Topics
Related court reports
- Fraud accused Denise O'Brien appears before court after bench warrant
- Almost 200 witnesses involved in Mike Gaine murder case as trial date set
- Murderer's claim that conviction was unsafe after 'extremely brief' jury deliberations is rejected
- One of six family members convicted of Tralee cemetery murder fails in bid to overturn conviction
- 'Honour killing' convict was misidentified at trial, lawyers claim
- Three jailed for 'honour killing' at Kerry funeral appeal convictions
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request