Closing speeches have begun in the trial of a man accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend in a hotel room in Dublin.
Eric Locke, who’s from St. John’s Park East in Clondalkin, claims he was suffering from a mental illness when he strangled Sonia Blount in 2014.
Remy Farrell, who’s prosecuting on behalf of the DPP, told the jury they were was no dispute that Eric Locke killed Sonia Blount in room 346 of the Plaza hotel in Tallaght on Feb 15th 2014.
That much was admitted by the defence on the first day of the trial.
But he said they will have to be satisfied that he intended to kill her if they are to find him guilty of murder.
Mr. Locke has raised the defence of diminished responsibility which can reduce a murder charge to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Mr. Farrell advised the jury to look at the act itself and decide whether he had a mental illness at the time and whether it was serious enough to substantially diminish his criminal responsibility.
He accused Mr. Locke of being a liar and he asked the jurors to look at the reasons behind the lies. He said he didn’t believe he was a compulsive liar as suggested but rather a purposeful one who lies for a reason.
