Socks of one of the accused in Carrigaline murder made an exhibit at trial

Blood of the 29-year-old Carrigaline man who was allegedly punched and kicked on the ground near his home at Christmas 2022 was found on the white sock worn by one of the men accused of murdering him.

Garda Ronan McGuckin reached into an evidence bag as he stood in the witness box at the murder trial today and removed two white Adidas socks which he said were worn by one of the accused men Ricardo Hoey.

Garda McGuckin held the socks up so that they could be seen by Ms Justice Lankford and the jury of six women and six men at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.

They were then made an exhibit in the murder trial.

Dr Conor Young of Forensic Science Ireland testified that he had been given clothing and footwear belonging to the two accused men to examine forensically.

Dr Young said the background allegations presented to him at the time were that Mr Hoey had allegedly said he pushed Matt O’Neill before kicking him, and that Jordan Deasy had allegedly hit him once when standing and once when on the ground.

He was told that it was alleged that the deceased was holding a bottle of wine which smashed when he fell to the ground.

Dr Young said he found a small area of bloodstaining on the leg part of one of Mr Hoey’s socks and this was a DNA match for Matt O’Neill.

Dr Young said a blood stain from inside Jordan Deasy’s jacket pocket was a DNA match for Mr Deasy’s own blood.

Ms Justice Lankford said that because of other court matters to which she must attend in Dublin on Monday the trial will continue in Cork on Tuesday April 16.

21-year-old Ricardo Hoey of 7 Ardcarrig, Carrigaline, County Cork, and 19-year-old Jordan Deasy of 41 Ravensdale, Heron’s Wood, both pleaded not guilty to the single charge against them, namely that on December 28 2022 at Glenwood estate, Carrigaline, County Cork, they did murder 29-year-old Matt O’Neill, contrary to common law.

Assistant state pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster carried out an autopsy on January 9 2023 and said that the fatal injuries resulted from blunt force trauma to the head, “which can be due to blows to the head and face or to a fall.”

The pathologist also said: “The blunt force trauma was consistent with a combination of blows and a fall.”