The jurors in David Mahon’s murder trial have been told they can also consider a manslaughter verdict.
The 45-year-old denies stabbing his stepson Dean Fitzpatrick outside his apartment at Northern Cross in Dublin in May 2013.
The prosecution’s case is that Dave Mahon murdered Dean during an altercation over a stolen water bottle.
He admits holding the knife that killed his stepson, but claims he walked into it either by “accident” or because he wanted to.
In his closing address today, Sean Guerin, Senior Counsel for Mr Mahon, accused the prosecution of striving come hell or high water to secure a conviction by misrepresenting medical evidence.
He said his client had no motive to kill. Given his relationship with Dean’s mother Audrey, he said he had every reason not to kill or harm the 23-year-old.
Mr Guerin said the use of the word "gutted" to describe the 23-year-old's injury was a "gross exaggeration" designed to disgust the jurors and portray the accused as some sort of butcher or savage.
He asked the jurors to apply reason and common sense to the evidence and to test the credibility of the prosecution.
The 12 men and women have been told they’ll have three options open to them: guilty of murder, not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter, or not guilty.
They are due to begin their deliberations tomorrow.
