A man was stabbed eleven times when he was attacked by two men in Cork last year, the prosecution alleged today on the opening day of a murder trial.
Jason Quinlan (29) originally from Ringmahon Close but with an address at Loughmahon Drive, Mahon, Cork and John Brett (25) with an address at Leitrim Street in Cork both deny the murder of plasterer, Brian McKee (24) at Ballinure Avenue in Mahon on August 25th, 2007.
At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, prosecution counsel Mary Ellen Ring SC outlined the state's case against both accused to the jury of ten men and two women selected to the try the case before Mr Justice Paul Carney.
Ms Ring said Mr McKee had been in a long term relationship with a woman, Ciara Delaney, with whom he had a child. The relationship had ended and they were separated around six months when Mr McKee rang up Ms Delaney just after midnight August 25th, 2007.
Ms Delaney was at a beach party at Myrtleville and they had a row over the phone over the minding of their child, said Ms Ring, adding the row resumed at 4.20am when Ms Delaney went to a house at St Michael's Lawn, Mahon where Mr McKee had gone with
a friend.
The row became so heated that the owner of the house Ray Keating asked them to leave and it contined on a green outside where Ms Delaney was joined by another group including her sister, Rebecca and her boyfriend, Jason Quinlan and John Brett.
The jury would hear that Mr Quinlan became involved in the row and threw a punch at Mr McKee but it failed to connect and that Mr Quinlan then took a bottle from Ciara Delaney, smashed it against the ground and armed with the broken bottle came at Mr McKee.
Ms Ring said the prosecution would say that Mr McKee backed away and ran back to Mr Keating's house where it appeared that he armed himself with a knife and that Mr Quinlan and Mr Brett were seen talking to each other before going to the home of David Hughes at Inchera Park.
They returned to the green area and the state would say that Mr Quinlan was seen carrying a knife and a broken bottle and that he threatened Mr McKee's friend Pat Bradley when he tried to stop him while Mr Brett was also seen smashing a bottle.
The State would present evidence that the two accused chased after Mr McKee when he emerged from Mr Keating's house and ran along Ballinure Road before falling. The State would allege that Mr Quinlan was seen stabbing down on Mr McKee, she said.
The State would also produce other witnesses who will say that they saw both Mr Quinlan and Mr Brett attacking Mr McKee before he managed to break free and run a short distance to a nearby shop where he collapsed on the ground, she added.
Mr McKee was found on the ground in a pool of blood by Garda Michael Kiely at around 4.45am and taken to Cork University Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery but died there from his injuries at 2.24pm, said Ms Ring.
The jury would also hear evidence from deputy state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis that he found Mr McKee had suffered 11 stab wounds, most of which were not very deep but one, which was over five inches deep, had penetrated Mr McKee's chest, said Ms Ring.
The case, which is expected to run two weeks, continues tomorrow.