Man (24) fatally stabbed sister’s housemate after night of drinking, court told

Fiona Magennis

A 24-year-old man fatally stabbed his sister’s housemate once in the chest following an altercation after the pair had spent the night drinking together, a court has heard.

Valeriu Melnic (24) with an address at Calliaghstown Lower, Rathcoole, Co Dublin, is charged with murdering Ion Daghi (39) at The Close, Sallins Park, Sallins in Co Kildare on May 12th 2024.

Mr Melnic has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to Mr Daghi's manslaughter.

The plea was not accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and a jury of eight men and four women have been sworn in to hear the trial.

In his opening address, Carl Hanahoe SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the jury on Tuesday afternoon that Mr Melnic’s sister resided with Mr Daghi at a property in Sallins Park, Co Kildare.

He said on the evening in question, the accused met up with a friend named Alexandru Beccieu and they had a beer together, purchased a bottle of whiskey and proceeded to Mr Daghi’s house, arriving at 8pm.

Mr Hanahoe said there were a number of people present in the house, including Mr Daghi, his wife, his mother-in-law, some children and the accused’s sister.

They had some food in the garden, drank the bottle of whiskey and proceeded to a pub where a second bottle of whiskey was purchased and consumed back at the house.

The group then went to a nightclub where they bought a third bottle of whiskey.

The two women present appeared to have had very little to drink, counsel said, so the alcohol was principally consumed by the three men.

Mr Hanahoe said some time around 3am a dispute appears to have arisen between Mr Melnic and Mr Daghi.

He said the dispute “became physical” and also involved the accused man’s friend, Mr Beccieu.

Mr Melnic and the deceased were separated, and Mr Beccieu went to look for car keys. When he returned, he saw the deceased on the ground and the accused man “over him”.

It was “quite clear a serious altercation had occurred,” Mr Hanahoe said.

The incident was broken up and Mr Melnic retreated into the kitchen while Mr Daghi “momentarily remained in the garden”.

Mr Hanahoe said it is the prosecution case that the accused “armed himself with a kitchen knife”. Mr Daghi then entered the kitchen and as he did so, Mr Melnic “stabbed him once in the chest”, the barrister said.

Counsel told the jury a pathologist will say Mr Daghi suffered a single stab wound to the left side of the chest and would have died “relatively quickly”.

He said the gardaí were called at around 3.10am and examined the scene.

Mr Hanahoe told the jury that they are the judges of fact, and they must decide the case based on the evidence “without sympathy or prejudice”.

The trial continues on Wednesday before Mr Justice David Keane and the jury.