A lady needed 45 stitches and 30 staples to address a 12in laceration she received in a Tralee graveyard incident, which also resulted in her husband’s death, a court was told. Six men are being tried for the homicide of Thomas Dooley in Rathass’ New Rath Cemetery, Tralee, at the Central Criminal Court in Cork on 5 October 2022; Thomas Dooley, a father of seven, was 42.
The defendants include Patrick Dooley of Arbutus Grove, Killarney; Daniel Dooley of An Carraigín, Connolly Park, Tralee; Thomas Dooley snr; Thomas Dooley jnr; Michael Dooley of Carrigrohane Road, Cork; and an underage boy whose identity is legally protected. The late Thomas Dooley’s brother is Patrick, and the three other accused are Thomas’ first cousins. Each accused has entered a plea of not guilty to Thomas’ murder.
Thomas Dooley jnr has also entered a plea of not guilty to causing harm, either intentionally or recklessly, to Siobhán Dooley at Rath Cemetery on the same day.
Mrs Dooley was admitted to University Hospital Kerry (UHK) following the cemetery injuries, the court was told on Friday. Hospital registrar Muhammad Essa testified that Mrs Dooley had a “serious injury,” a wound that seemed to be about 30cm (1ft) on her shoulder’s back. He described the wound as a clean cut, likely from a sharp object, and explained that it extended from Mrs Dooley’s right shoulder down to her armpit. Clearly detailing the scene, Dr Essa shared that you could see the fatty tissue because the gauze had absorbed blood from the wound, which paramedics had bandaged. He had given Mrs Dooley 45 stitches and 30 staples because stitches were not strong enough to hold the wound together.
The news was broken to Mrs Dooley about her husband Thomas’ demise while she was staying at a hospital. The unfortunate disclosure left her distressed and sorrowful, necessitating sedative administration to soothe her perturbed state. Further, crime scene analyst, Officer Brian Hayles, testified in the case, having been present at the graveyard on the day of the incident. Officer Hayles ensured protection of the scene for sleuthing. He remarked on discovering a significant patch of external haemorrhage on a walkway in the graveyard. An expansive search of the location resulted in the discovery of key items, including a large black synthetic scabbard abandoned on an adjoining tomb, and a Lucozade bottle tainted with a substance resembling blood. The trial is set to resume the coming Monday.