A MAN ACCUSED of murdering an 89-year-old Tipperary woman, denied choking her and telling her daughter to “murder her”, his trial heard Friday.

The alleged “murder her” comment was captured on an audio file recorded on the accused’s mobile phone, on the night before the alleged killing, it was heard.

African native Hasan Ali Gori (52) denies murdering his then girlfriend’s mother, 89-year-old Josephine “Josie” Ray, at her home on 4 August 2024.

Josie was found, in her bed, allegedly strangled and smothered and with 44 bruises to her head and body, heard the Central Criminal Court in Limerick.

Gori was living with Josie Ray and her daughter Mary at the time, and he was in a relationship with Mary Ray, who the court heard has an intellectual disability and is a “vulnerable” person.

Josie Ray did not approve of Mary’s relationship with Gori, and had called him a “black bastard” on a number of occasions and had previously hit him with a poker, witnesses told the court.

Neighbours and members of the Ray family told the court that Josie, Mary and the accused were constantly “fighting” and “arguing” with one another and that their rows were often “volatile”.

Mary Ray, who it was alleged sometimes found it difficult to control her emotions due to her learning disability, had, nine years previously, threatened to stab her mother with a knife outside their house, a neighbour claimed in court.

Today, extracts of an audio recording of Gori and Mary Ray arguing, and which was found on Gori’s mobile phone after it was seized by gardaí, was played in court.

The prosecution claim that during the three-and-a-half hour recording Gori is heard telling Mary Ray they should go to court to resolve arguments over their housing situation.

In the audio, played in court, Mary Ray was heard replying to Gori, “no, no, can’t say nothing to my mother”.

The prosecution, led by senior counsel, Lorcan Connolly, alleged that Gori’s response in the recording is “murder her”.

A video recording of Gori being interviewed under caution by gardaí was also played in court, in which the accused repeatedly told gardaí he did not say “murder her”.

Gori claimed he told Mary Ray “murder ba” and not “murder her”.

The jury heard that when gardaí asked Gori what “ba” meant, he replied there was no “ba” in the English language and that it was in his native language.

Neighbours told gardaí they heard Gori and Mary Ray arguing outside her mother’s house on the evening before she was found dead.

One neighbour told gardaí they overheard Gori telling Mary Ray: “I don’t want to live with your mother, I want to live there just ourselves.”

Gori told gardaí he did not know anything about this. He told detectives: “I’m pleading not guilty.”

Gori also told gardaí he did not recall telling Mary Ray that he was sick of living with Josie and that either she or he would have to leave the house, as alleged by another neighbour.

When it was put to Gori that he had choked Josie Ray in her bed in the early hours of 4 August 2024, he replied: “Please, Mr Detective, I know nothing, it’s a false allegation.”

Gardaí responded to a call of a disturbance at Josie Ray’s house on the night before her body was found at the property, in which gardaí advised Gori and Mary Ray to keep the noise down following a report of a row taking place at the house.

Following his arrest, gardaí asked Gori if Josie Ray was “afraid” of him and he replied: “I don’t know, when someone hates you because of the colour of your skin, it’s difficult.”

Asked who he was referring to, Gori replied he was talking about some of Mary’s relatives.

A social worker who had visited Josie Ray in the months prior to her death said that whenever she mentioned Gori’s name to Josie, it seemed to make her “nervous”.

The witness said Josie Ray told her she did not want to return to her house while the accused was living there.

State Pathologist, Dr Yvonne McCartney, who conducted a post-mortem on Josie Ray’s remains, gave evidence earlier that, in her opinion, Josie Ray died of “strangulation” and “smothering”.

A forensic scientist, Dr Stephen Clifford, told the court the accused’s DNA was found on forensic swabs taken of Josie Ray’s right hand and fingernails.

Dr Clifford said this “may not be significant” as DNA can be transferred from person to person in shared accommodation and without them touching.

The trial continues Monday.