The trial of a former soldier accused of murdering a mid Kerry pensioner has been adjourned.
Thomas Carroll, with an address at Brookway, Clonmel, Co Tipperary, is before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath at Limerick Central Criminal Court.
The 67-year-old is accused of murdering 84-year-old Patrick 'Paddy' O’Mahony in February 2024 at Ballyreameen, near Castlemaine.
The court previously heard that Thomas Carroll phoned Paddy O’Mahony’s son, Paddy Junior on the morning of February 25th, 2024, to say that his father had fallen outside his home. and he couldn’t get him up.
Senior counsel for the state, Dean Kelly outlined in closing arguments that Paddy junior ran to his father's home, where he saw him lying on the floor, with his mouth open and full of water, dead.
Evidence presented to the jury of eight men and four women heard that the first thing Mr Carroll asked was “should we get a doctor”.
The prosecution gave its closing statements for over two hours this afternoon at Limerick Central Criminal Court.
Mr Kelly argued that the accused told self-serving and calculated lies to evade justice, and that suggestions of a failing memory should be discounted completely.
Mr Kelly previously told the court that the accused and Mr O’Mahony had been friends over many decades and were old soldier pals.
A postmortem exam determined that Paddy O’Mahony died as a result of haemorrhage and shock from the bullet passing through him.
The close range shot from the Browning calibre Beretta ruptured the 84-year-olds liver and spleen and ended in his buttocks.
Thomas Carroll denies the charge.
The trial has been adjourned until Wednesday for closing arguments from senior defence counsel Mark Nicholas, instructed by solicitor Pat Mann.
