A tattoo artist has been found guilty of murdering a chef who he attacked with a sword in a Co Cork car park.
The assault led to the partial amputation of Ian Baitson’s left leg and caused massive blood loss, which later led to his death in hospital.
Jurors at the Central Criminal Court in Cork took just over four hours to unanimously convict Dylan Scannell of the 33-year-old father of two’s murder. Scannell had denied murdering Mr Baitson’s but had pleaded guilty to his manslaughter.
The 31-year-old, of O’Rahilly Street in Cobh, will be given the mandatory life term next month at a sentencing hearing, at which victim impact statements will be heard.
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Ms Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jurors for their diligent service in a “difficult” case.
During a week-long trial, the jury heard Scannell struck Mr Baitson behind his left knee with a sword at the Eurospar car park on Newtown Road in Cobh on March 15th, 2024.
The medical evidence was that the sword cut through muscle, artery and bone. Mr Baitson was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery, but died four days later.
The trial heard Scannell had sent Mr Baitson a text threatening to chop off his fingers because of a drug debt he at one point claimed amounted to €2,500.
Mr Baitson responded by insisting he only owed him a couple of hundred euro.
At the time of the attack, Mr Baitson had €185 which he planned to give to Scannell. However, the evidence was that he never got the chance to hand over the money as Scannell attacked him with the sword.
Mr Baitson had told his mother Helen Goggin he was going to the shop and would be back in 10 minutes.
She heard sirens after 20 minutes and was later informed that her son had been attacked and taken to hospital. Ms Goggin wept during the trial as she gave evidence about medics having “to turn off the machine” four days later.
Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the trial a postmortem indicated Mr Baitson died of haemorrhage and shock complicated by brain damage due to a lack of blood supply from an injury caused by sharp force.
A single blow from a sharp weapon like a samurai sword caused a fracture to the knee bone and sliced through the two bones below the knee.
Scannell opted to give evidence at the trial. He said he was “sorry” for what occurred. He said he had supplied Mr Baitson with drugs and loaned him money for a debt he owed to a third party.
He insisted Mr Baitson was his friend and said he would give anything to turn back the clock.
Scannell said he was having trouble and owed money to another person at the time. He admitted he was a drug addict and was feeling “paranoid” when he went to meet Mr Baitson in the car park.
He insisted he brought the sword to the car park for “protection” and never intended to harm Mr Baitson.
“I just wanted to scare him. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t think that by hitting him in the leg I would cause him any damage.”
Following the attack, Scannell drove to an area near the harbour in Cobh and threw the sword into the water.
The trial heard Mr Baitson was a fit and healthy man who ran road races. He had given up alcohol six months before his death.
Mourners at his funeral on March 27th of last year were told he was a “lovable rogue”. Fr Tom McDermott said Mr Baitson was the “happiest he had ever been” in the period before he died, having just participated in a charity run.
