A man has gone on trial for the alleged murder of his ex-girlfriend in Dublin.

Vesel Jahiri of Louth Village, Dundalk, Co. Louth denies murdering Anna Finnegan at her home in Clonsilla in September 2012.

He has also pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to her brother.

During his opening address to the jury, prosecutor Patrick Marrinan SC said Vesel Jahiri was born in Kosovo but has lived in Ireland since 1999.

He said he first met Anna Finnegan when she was in her mid-to-late teens and they spent ten years together and had two children.

He said their relationship “turned sour” in the lead up to Sept 2012 adding that she had obtained a protection order against him and gone to a refuge centre. 

When their relationship eventually ended, the jury was told Mr Jahiri became extremely concerned about access to their children.

Social services put a scheme in place whereby Anna’s brother Karl would stay in her home with her when he wasn’t working.

On the evening of September 21st 2012, Mr Marrinan said they were having a cup of tea at her kitchen table when the front door was “battered” in.

He told the jurors Karl Finnegan will tell them the accused came into the house armed with a knife and that he stabbed him in the chest with it.

He said Mr Finnegan will describe becoming faint but that he was aware Mr. Jahiri had followed Anna out of the house.

His sister collapsed in the driveway and the accused put her in the back of his car and drove her to hospital where she later died.

Mr Marrinan told the jurors that it was very clear that he regretted stabbing her immediately afterwards, but that doesn’t absolve him of responsibility.

The court heard he rang 999 later that day and handed himself in to Gardaí the following day with a knife he claimed he’d taken from Karl.

His case is that he went to Anna’s house to give her some money and that he stabbed her brother in self-defence when he came at him with a knife.

He denies stabbing Anna and Mr. Marrinan told the jurors he’s effectively saying her brother stabbed her while they were fighting.

Alternatively, he said he doesn’t know how she was fatally injured.