

by Andrew Carey

at the Central Criminal Court

“I GOT a handy touch” is how an unemployed Limerick man, accused of the murder of a 71-year-old pensioner, described to a friend where he got over €3,300 in cash to buy a car when they met the morning after the elderly man was killed.

21-year-old Christopher McNamara, with an address at Good Shepherd Villas, Pennywell denies the murder of James Boyce, an army veteran who served in the Congo, after the pensioner was found beaten to death in his home in St Mary’s Park, Limerick at a time between March 6 and 7, 2011.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court heard witness statements from the prosecution as to the movements of the accused in the hours leading up to and the discovery of the body of the elderly man in his home.

A statement read into evidence by prosecution counsel for the State Maurice Coffey BL, heard from a friend of the accused, Aaron Hayes who said that he had seen McNamara going in to Mr Boyce’s home on the evening of Sunday March 6, 2011.

The court heard that Mr Hayes didn’t take much notice of this as McNamara was a regular caller to the pensioner’s house where he did jobs and fix things.

The two men left the St Mary’s Park area later on Sunday evening and went to another house in the Pennywell area where they listened to music including Kenny Rogers, The Gambler.

Mr Hayes, the court was told went home to his own house between 8:30 and 9pm. He said that he didn’t see the accused until after school the next day when McNamara picked him up to go “for a spin” in a new car he had just bought.

When asked as to where he got the money to pay for the car, McNamara told his friend “I got a handy touch”.

Mr Hayes said that he didn’t know where the accused got the money to buy the car.

Later that day, the pair went to HMV where McNamara bought two CDs before collecting two more friends on the outskirts of the city.

The court heard that Mr Hayes went home later that evening and at 11pm that night he heard of the death of Mr Boyce.

Previously, the jury heard that the body of Mr Boyce was discovered by gardai in an upstairs bedroom of his home at 150 St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park.

A piece of wood was found on the chest of Mr Boyce and his lifeless body had cuts, scratch marks and dried blood around his neck and head.

Items, including a brush handle separated from its head, were also found on the bedroom floor.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and a jury of seven men and five women.