A murder trial has heard that a 33-year-old chef sustained a “catastrophic bleed” with his left leg being “mostly severed” after he was attacked by a man with a sword in a car park in Cobh, Co Cork.
Dylan Scannell went on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Tuesday charged with the murder of Ian Baitson in Eurospar car park in Newtown Road in Cobh in March 2024. The 30-year-old denies murder. However, he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Mr Baitson, who was a father of two, died at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on March 19th, 2024, four days after he was attacked in a car park about two minutes from his home. He had told his mother, Helen, that he was going to the shop and would be back in a few minutes.
Shop worker Eric Thomas gave evidence that on the evening of March 15th, 2024, a person ran in to the shop and told him that a man was injured in the car park.
Leading Kinahan cartel figure Sean McGovern being extradited from UAE to Ireland
Independents Barry Heneghan, Gillian Toole vote against Coalition and in favour of Sinn Féin’s pro-Palestine Bill
Gardaí fear mother was held captive in Dublin ‘house of horrors’ for many years
John Magnier tells Barne Estate trial that money does not mean much to him except as a way ‘to keep score’
When he went out he saw a man, whom he recognised as Ian Baitson, lying on his stomach on the ground.
He said that he and another man rolled Mr Baitson over. He noted that there was a “lot of blood.” Mr Thomas said the left leg of the injured man was “mostly severed.”
He and others present used a belt to make a tourniquet. They tried to stop the bleeding with bandages.
Another witness, Ron Ellis, said that he was parked in his car in the car park when he saw a man he didn’t recognise arrive in a silver Octavia car. He said the car stopped by the bottle bank.
Mr Ellis noticed that the car music was “blaring”. He stated that a man whom he did not recognise got out of the car holding a sword and then proceeded to strike another man with it.
“I was in shock. The man on the ground started shouting and roaring for help. He [the assailant] vanished and the person on the ground started shouting for help. I approached him and saw a lot of blood. I tried to call 999 but I became frustrated with the operator. I ran in to the shop for help.”
A third witness, emergency first responder Liam Leahy, said he was in Eurospar when he heard someone say a man outside had just had his leg chopped off.
He grabbed his first aid bag from his car and rushed to the assistance of the injured man. A German student also assisted at the scene. A tourniquet was applied.
Mr Leahy said he and the other men tried to stop a “catastrophic bleed”.
A doctor and two paramedic crews also attended at the scene. Dr Hugh Doran said when he arrived at the car park Ian Baitson was in cardiac arrest. He and the paramedics went to his assistance, ventilating him with oxygen and giving him cardiac massage. Mr Baitson was then taken by ambulance to hospital.
Opening the case, prosecuting counsel Donal O’Sullivan SC said Dylan Scannell and Ian Baitson were known to each other.
[ Cobh sword attack victim Ian Baitson remembered as a ‘loveable rogue’ at funeralOpens in new window ]
“It appears that there was a debt owed by Ian Baitson to Dylan Scannell being paid off bit by bit over a period of time.”
It is alleged by the State that in the run-up to the meeting on March 15th, 2024, messages from Dylan Scannell to Ian Baitson became “more threatening” in nature. Mr O’Sullivan said that the two men met in the back of the Eurospar complex at around 8.50pm with Mr Scannell allegedly getting out of a silver Skoda Octavia car.
“It is alleged that Dylan Scannell attacked and struck Ian Baitson with a sword, causing his death. The person who carried out the attack left immediately in the car.”
Mr O’Sullivan alleges that in the aftermath of the attack the silver car was driven to a beach area near the mall in the town. He said that the car stopped in the Connolly Street area right next to the harbour.
“Subsequently, gardaí carried out a search in the Mall, a shingle-type beach, and a sword was found with a DNA match to Ian Baitson.”
The case will continue on Wednesday. It is being presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last a week.
