Pensioner went down fighting jury hears

PENSIONER Josephine "Josie" Ray (89) died trying to "fight off" her killer as she was being strangled a jury in Limerick heard

PENSIONER Josephine “Josie” Ray (89) died trying to “fight off” her killer as she was being strangled in her home, her alleged murderer’s trial heard on Tuesday.

The trial heard evidence from state pathologist, Dr Yvonne McCartney, that Ms Ray, of St Joseph’s Park, Nenagh, died of strangulation and smothering after she suffered two broken neck bones and 44 bruises to her head, neck, face, shoulders, chest, arms and legs.

“Josie Ray didn’t go down without a fight,” senior prosecuting counsel, Lorcan Connolly, told the jury in his closing address.

“The prosecution say bruises to her forearms is evidence of Josie’s struggle as she tried to fight off the accused as he was trying to strangle her,” argued Mr Connolly.

Ms Ray’s arms were upright by her face when her body was found in her bed, in a front room at her home, on August 4, 2024, the court heard.

“The prosecution say Josie Ray caught her killer and in doing so, in defending herself, she suffered damage to her forearms,” added Mr Connolly.

African native, Hasan Ali Gori, (52), has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court, in Limerick, to a charge of murdering Ms Ray.

Mr Connolly argued it was “significant” that Mr Gori’s DNA was found on Josie Ray’s right hand and underneath her fingernails.

“Unbeknownst to himself, Hasan Ali Gori left his calling card, his DNA under Josie’s fingernails,” the barrister said.

Josie rarely left Mary out of her sight because Mary has an intellectual disability and was described as a “vulnerable” adult.

Josie did not approve of Mary having a relationship with Mr Gori, who had been living in a hostel, prior to moving in with the Tipperary mother and daughter.

Prior to Ms Ray’s death, Gardai had gone to her house after receiving complaints from neighbours of constant rowing between Josie, Mary and Gori, at the property.

On the night before Ms Ray’s death, neighbours reported seeing Mr Gori head-butting Mary Ray and telling her he was “sick” of living with her mother, and, that either he or Josie Ray would have to leave the house.

Mr Connolly suggested Mr Gori had “motive” and “opportunity” to murder Josie Ray. He argued Mr Gori was “at risk” of being evicted from the house and losing out on social welfare payments attached to a disability allowance being claimed by Mary Ray.

“He’d struck lucky, he had a roof over his head, he had an attachment to the house, he was at risk of losing the roof over his head and losing the payment from the department of social welfare.”

Mr Connolly suggested Mr Gori was also “upset” and “annoyed” at Josie Ray using “racist” slurs, allegedly calling him a “black bastard” and hitting him with a fireside poker.

Mr Connolly said Mr Gori was “wholly indifferent” and “callous” to Mary Ray’s grief and told her her to “shut up” when she cried at the death and told her that Josie was “old” and “was going to die anyway”.

In his closing speech, Mr Gori’s barrister, senior counsel, Aidan Doyle, said the court had heard from a former neighbour that Josie and Mary Ray were “constantly rowing about Mary bringing African men back to the house” before Mr Gori came on the scene.

The neighbour told the court she also saw Mary Ray threaten Josie Ray with a knife, nine years previously.

Mr Doyle highlighted the evidence of Carmel Ray, a sister of Mary Ray, who told the court that Mary was “very kind, and shy” but she sometimes “couldn’t control her emotions”.

Carmel Ray claimed Mary had assaulted another sibling when she was a teenager, and that following another incident, Mary was so upset that it took “five” gardai to “restrain” her.

Mr Doyle told the jury: “If you think it’s even possible that Mary did it, you have to acquit (Mr Gori).”

Mr Doyle said the jury had heard evidence that Mary Ray was “possessive and jealous” of Mr Gori and she had broken a toilet door in the house because she suspected the accused was looking at other women on his mobile phone when he went into the bathroom.

Mr Doyle suggested that, on the night before Josie Ray’s death, Mary Ray was in a “wound-up state of panic” because Mr Gori “was leaving”.

Mr Doyle asked the jury to consider an “alternative” theory to what the prosecution had put forward: “How do the guards (gardai) know Mary Ray didn’t do this? Why was she dropped from the investigation, you haven’t heard from her?”

Mr Doyle argued that persons with intellectual disabilities can give evidence in courts using established supports.

“They didn’t call on (Mary), or say why she isn’t here to give evidence,” said Mr Doyle.

The trial judge Mr Justice Sean Gillane began charging the jury Tuesday evening and will continue his charge Wednesday.