A jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Limerick has heard that an 89-year-old Tipperary woman was allegedly smothered and strangled while lying in bed at her home in Nenagh.
Mrs Josephine “Josie” Ray, a mother of five, was found dead at her home in St Joseph’s Park on August 4th 2024.
Mr Hasan Ali Gori, aged 52, of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to her murder. He appeared before the court with the assistance of an interpreter.
Opening the prosecution’s case, Senior Counsel Mr Lorcan Connolly told the jury that Ms Ray was a lively and well-known local woman, who had lived with her daughter Mary since the 1980s.
The court heard that the accused had been in a relationship with Mary since 2014 and later moved into the family home. Prosecutors described tensions within the household in the days leading up to Ms Ray’s death.
Ms Ray was reportedly last seen alive at approximately 2:00am on August 4, smoking outside her home. She was discovered dead in her bed later that morning.
The prosecution alleged that forensic evidence revealed DNA matching the accused beneath Ms Ray’s fingernails, suggesting a possible physical struggle. Mr Connolly told jurors that the cause of death was asphyxia resulting from pressure applied to her neck.
The trial, before Mr Justice Seán Gillane, is expected to last four weeks.
The allegations have not been proven, and the trial continues.
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