When police found a man accused of stomping a friend to death they noticed blood stains on his shoe and jeans, a jury has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The bloodied sneaker was admitted as evidence in the Launceston Supreme Court on Monday, during the sixth day of the trial into the death of Peter Fitzgerald.
The 56-year-old died at his Kerry Court unit at Summerhill in the early hours of December 1, 2016.
Anthony Colin Finnegan, who was wearing the sneaker on the night Mr Fitzgerald died, has pleaded not guilty to murder.
Taking the stand, Constable Blake Nolan detailed the night police arrested Mr Finnegan, after he allegedly killed Mr Fitzgerald during a drunken fight a few hours earlier.
Constable Nolan said he and another officer were driving in Morris Street at Prospect, a few streets from where Mr Fitzgerald was found dead, and were flagged down by another man who was later identified as Sean Watkins.
Constable Nolan told the jury Mr Watkins pointed to a unit in Morris Street and said “he’s f---ed up, he’s in there … he’s killed someone up the road”.
Mr Finnegan was inside the unit, on his phone, with a beer in his hand, the court heard.
“I heard him say ‘I love you mum, the cops are here’,” Constable Nolan said.
The accused was arrested and charged with Mr Fitzgerald’s death.
Constable David Leamey, who had also been at the Morris Street address, told the jury when Mr Finnegan was being processed at the station he noticed blood on the heel of one of his shoes.
The jury previously heard Mr Finnegan and the alleged victim were drinking at the Kerry Court unit with another friend, Cameron Tattersall, earlier in the night.
A fight broke out, and Mr Fitzgerald was allegedly stomped and kicked in the head and left to drown in his own blood, they were told.
Defence lawyer Greg Richardson has argued it was not his client that caused Mr Fitzgerald’s death, and has instead questioned the involvement of witnesses Cameron Tattersall and Sean Watkins, who were the last ones at the crime scene.
Mr Tattersall and Mr Watkins have both given evidence, claiming to have gone to the unit to check on Mr Fitzgerald after the fight, only to find him dead.
Mr Watkins initially tried to cover up being at the unit, by washing blood off his hands and hiding his clothing, the jury had heard.
But during his evidence on the trial, he admitted he was at the unit when Mr Tattersall called triple zero.
Both men say Mr Fitzgerald had no pulse.
The defence claims the alleged victim was still alive when Mr Tattersall and Mr Watkins went to the unit.
The trial before Justice Michael Brett continues.
While you're with us, did you know that you can now sign up to receive breaking news updates direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
IN OTHER NEWS:
