‘I can’t, my head is spinning’: Murder accused’s 999 call played to jury

Alison O'Riordan

A jury has listened to a 999 recording of a murder accused requesting an ambulance for his friend, who he said he had a fight with two days beforehand, but was no longer breathing and was cold to the touch.

Tomas Cypas (35), with an address at Foxborough Road, Lucan, Co Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Juris Kokenbergs (49) at Old Bridge Park, Lucan, Co Dublin, on October 28th, 2024.

The prosecution played the 999 call to the jury, which was made by Cypas to the Dublin Fire Brigade at 8:02am on the morning of October 28th, 2024. The call lasted eight minutes.

In the audio recording, the jury heard Cypas tell the dispatcher that he needed an ambulance and gardai to come to Old Bridge Park in Lucan.

When the dispatcher asked what had happened, Cypas said he was in his mother's house and that he [the accused] and his friend had a fight.

"An argument and eh I woke up now to check on him and he's not breathing, he's cold, you know?" said the accused.

Cypas said his friend was "not awake, his body is cold".

The accused went on to say that his friend "was sleeping downstairs, he was okay, he was okay like all night because...".

Asked whether there was a defibrillator available, the accused said he did not understand.

Cypas said the man was 52 years old, a Latvian national and that he was his friend.

The dispatcher asked Cypas how long ago the fight had been to which the accused replied: "That was from Saturday night but he was okay yesterday".

The dispatcher told the accused he needed him to get right beside his friend and check if he was breathing. Cypas said his friend was on the ground, was not breathing and was "out cold".

When asked to turn his friend on his back, Cypas said: "Sorry I can't do this. Sorry I can't".

"Are you refusing to do CPR on him?" asked the dispatcher.

The accused replied: "No, I'm not refusing, he's just I know he is not breathing.... I'm only in shock".

The dispatcher told Cypas if he wanted to try to help his friend he was going to have to turn him on his back. Cypas said "I just, I can't. I can't even look at him".

"I need you to pump the chest fast and hard at least twice per second and two inches deep," instructed the dispatcher.

"It's not going to help, it's not helping no," replied the accused.

The dispatcher said the ambulance crew would not be able to help his friend if the accused man did not do this. "He's even the smell off him you know," said Cypas.

Cypas said: "I just can't, I'm sorry I can't, my head is spinning.....I can't he's just lying there".

The accused repeated his head was spinning and that he was going to get sick.

When asked if there was anyone else there who would try to perform CPR on the victim, Cypas said he was in the house with his mother, who was upstairs.

"So there is no way that you're going to try to do CPR with him?" asked the dispatcher. "No, he's just, he's just so cold, just so cold," said Cypas.

The dispatcher told the accused that an ambulance would be there as soon as possible and to unlock the front door.

At the outset of the murder trial, the jurors were told they would hear evidence that Kokenbergs died after his head was stomped on and the panel will have to consider the accused's intent at the time.

The 12 jurors were told by defence counsel Brendan Grehan that the accused Cypas admits hitting the deceased.

The trial continues on Friday before Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women.

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