Andrew Carey
A JURY at the Central Criminal Court has been given details of how a Limerick pensioner was beaten with a brush handle and left to die in an upstairs bedroom of his St Mary’s Park home.
72-year-old James Boyce was found dead at his home on St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park in March 2011.
21-year-old Christopher McNamara, with at address at Good Shepherd Villas, Pennywell Road, denies killing the army veteran. The jury was told that a substantial amount of cash was taken from the pensioner’s bedroom.
The trial, which was originally scheduled to begin before Christmas, had been adjourned as there was no judge available. However, the case resumed this week before Mr Justice Gareth Sheehan and is expected to last two weeks.
This week, the jury was told that the retired soldier, who had served in the Congo, was found dead in an upstairs bedroom of his home. He had sustained several blows to the head, face, neck and body.
Josephine Cora McNamara of St Munchin’s Park told the court told the jury that she became worried when she noticed that his curtains had not been opened the following day.
“I lived next door to Jimmy for years and moved across the road when I got married. He lived with his mother and brother and looked after his brother after his mother died. Jimmy received meals on wheels from Monday to Friday but he didn’t collect his meal that Monday.
“I became worried when I saw the curtains were drawn in the sitting room since that was the first thing he normally did in the morning”, she said.
The jury was told that CCTV footage proving that the accused was present at the address of the deceased will be presented in the coming days.
Prosecution evidence at the Central Criminal Court is expected to continue for the remainder of this week and in to next week before defence evidence is heard and the jury is sent to deliberate on its verdict.
