A man accused of murdering his dad over a burnt breakfast had a “love/hate” relationship with him, his aunt told a court on Wednesday.
Mark Tims, 48, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his father Anthony at their Dublin home on July 13, 2018.
But he denies murder after allegedly going into a “rage” while punching him twice in the head and kicking him when he fell to the ground.
The trial has heard a row erupted when Anthony returned home from the pub on his 74th birthday and the accused told him he had “cremated” his breakfast that morning and he didn’t want him to cook his breakfast again.
A witness said the deceased told his son he was a disappointment” and he wished he’d never been born before being put into a headlock and attacked.
Sandra O’Donnell, Anthony’s younger sister, told how there were “always little arguments” between the dad and son.
Asked to comment on the relationship, she added: “I would say they had a love/hate relationship.”
On the day of the death Ms O’Donnell received a call from the accused’s partner Elizabeth McDonagh and went to the Rowlagh Green home in Clondalkin.
She saw the deceased being taken out by an ambulance crew and said: “I knew he was dead.”
The Central Criminal Court heard Ms O’Donnell phoned Mark at about 3am that night and he told her he was hiding.
When she asked why, he responded: “I gave my dad a couple of slaps and kind of lost it.”
Ms O’Donnell informed him he had killed his father and she wanted him to give himself up. She said he told her “You don’t know what happened” and she replied: “I know but you still have to hand yourself in.”
The witness said when Mark was a boy he used to go with his dad to a pub in Smithfield, Dublin to listen to Irish music, adding “they were close”.
Ms O’Donnell agreed that as Anthony got older and his health started to suffer he became “cranky” and that people would avoid him.
She added both men had a “stubborn streak” and there were “money issues” between them but disagreed alcohol played a role with her brother.
Ms O’Donnell told a prosecutor the accused lived with his father, who had ran a panel-beating business, for most of his life.
The deceased’s wife Dolores died in 1996 and Mark continued staying in the family home.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt was also told the accused was “not a bad person” while one witness described him as a “lovely fella”.
The trial continues.
