A witness in a murder trial said he saw the accused man strike the raider of a supermarket with a knife at least three times before running back to strike him again.
David Wilson (22), of Marigold Avenue, Darndale, Dublin, denies murdering Paul Howe (22) at the Central Criminal Court as he tried to make his getaway following a robbery at Supervalu on the Howth Road on October 8, 2008.
It is claimed Mr Wilson stabbed Mr Howe of Glenshane Crescent, Tallaght, Dublin, as he tried to climb over a wall in the car park of the store after he carried out an armed robbery with another man.
Colm Coughlan, who was working in the store on the night in question, told the court he saw four men and a security guard chasing the victim into the car park after the raid on the shop.
He said: āThe security guard got a hold of him and had a bat in his hand and was hitting the robber trying to get him to the ground.ā
Once the security guard had got him to the ground, the four men started kicking him, at which point the security guard stopped and signalled at the others to do the same.
Mr Coughlan, who identified the accused as one of the men in the group, said: "I noticed Wilson getting something into his hand, a shiny silver object, and he started striking at the robber with it.
āPeople were trying to stop him and he did stop and walk away but he ran back and struck him once more with the silver item.ā
Mr Wilson then walked toward Mr Coughlan, still holding the silver object in his hand, which he then saw was a knife.
āHe asked me to take it, gestured it towards to me and I saw it and said: āNo Iām not going near itā,ā Mr Coughlan said.
The court heard that security guard Deepak Daulat was alerted by staff members that the store was being robbed.
He said: āI pressed the panic button in my pocket and saw one guy putting a knife to the girlās neck telling her to open the till.ā
A second raider was running toward the door so he picked up a walking stick and hit the door with it in an attempt to frighten him, the court heard.
Mr Daulat then chased the raider out the door accompanied by a number of men, including Mr Wilson, who had been standing outside.
Grabbed
He saw the first raider climb over the wall and caught up with the second raider as he was trying to climb over.
He said: āI grabbed hold of his jumper and pulled him down. I didnāt see a knife until he fell down and he had the knife in his right hand.ā
The raider swung at his neck twice with the knife and shouted at him to let go or he would kill him, the court heard.
Mr Dualat hit the raiderās hand with the stick and the knife fell but he did not see where it went.
He told prosecuting counsel he then saw a man with a knife stab the raider three or four times before walking away and coming back to stab him again.
The trial, which is expected to last two weeks, resumes tomorrow.