Deceased told cousins he had been stabbed just moments before he collapsed and died, jury to hear

Prosecution claims there was animosity between Tyler Jackson (26) and Conor Quinn (24) before interaction that left Mr Quinn dead on street in Mallow in July 2018

Tyler Jackson (26) at Mallow Court when he was charged with the murder of Conor Quinn in July 2018. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Cork Courts
Tyler Jackson (26) at Mallow Court when he was charged with the murder of Conor Quinn in July 2018. Photograph: Michael Mac Sweeney/Cork Courts

A 24-year-old man told his cousins that he had been stabbed just minutes before he made his way to an ambulance where he collapsed and died, a jury will hear in the trial of a 26-year-old man charged with murder.

Prosecution counsel Ray Boland SC told the eight men and four women trying Tyler Jackson for the murder of Conor Quinn in Mallow, Co Cork, on July 12th, 2018, that they would hear evidence of animosity between Mr Jackson and Mr Quinn and his cousins.

Appearing before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, Mr Jackson, of Ballydaheen West, Mallow, denied the murder of Conor Quinn at Bridge Street, Mallow, on July 12th, 2018.

Opening the prosecution case, Mr Boland gave an outline of the evidence the State expects to call in the case and he explained that the deceased, Conor Quinn, was aged 24 at the time of his death while the accused, Mr Jackson, known as Tiggy, was aged 21.

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Mr Boland emphasised that what he was giving was merely an outline of the case and was not itself evidence and also stressed that there was a presumption of innocence and that this would not change unless the jury found the accused guilty of murder or manslaughter at the end of the trial.

He said Mr Quinn was from Galway but had travelled on July 11th to Killavullen, where he stayed with relatives. On July 12th, he and his cousins, Stephen, Luke and Samantha, and his uncle, Richard Cannon, had gone socialising together at Cahirmee Horse Fair in Buttevant.

He said the jury would hear evidence that the group came into Mallow that evening to get food at KFC on Main Street when they spotted Mr Jackson on the street. There had allegedly been a previous issue with Stephen Quinn, which resulted in animosity between them.

“Conor Quinn was not friendly to Tyler Jackson and got out of the car and confronted him – that confrontation did not lead to any serious injury to Tyler Jackson who left the scene – that first confrontation between Conor Quinn and Tyler Jackson took place at 7.59pm,” said Mr Boland.

He said the jury would hear evidence and see CCTV of the movements of both parties around Mallow town following this first interaction. They would also hear of a second interaction between the two parties just over 40 minutes later.

“At 8.38pm, the deceased and his party were stopped in traffic on Bridge Street. The deceased was in the front passenger seat of the car. Conor Quinn spotted Tyler Jackson across the road by Cremin’s cycle shop. He left the car to confront Tyler Jackson. It was a physical confrontation – a scuffle.

“And Tyler Jackson struck the deceased, Conor Quinn, once in the chest and ran away. The prosecution contention is that the strike was with a knife. It was a stab wound and that is the wound from which he died. I am sure that will be contested by the defence.”

“Conor Quinn went back to his companions and said to his cousins, Luke and Stephen ‘he’s after stabbing me’ and he then made his way over to an ambulance that was also stuck in traffic and, within a minute or two, Conor Quinn collapsed and never regained consciousness and died.”

Mr Boland said the jury would hear Mr Quinn was rushed to Cork University Hospital where he was pronounced dead and they would hear from Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster, that Mr Quinn died from haemorrhage and shock due to a partial collapsed lung due to a stab wound.

The case continues.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times