Witness says men ran away laughing after attack
A young plasterer was attacked by two men – each armed with a knife - and they then ran away laughing, an eyewitness in the Mahon murder trial claimed at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork today.
John Brett (aged 25) of 26A Leitrim Street, Cork, and Jason Quinlan (aged 29) of 11 Loughmahon Drive, Mahon, Cork, both deny murdering Brian McKee (aged 24) at Ballinure Avenue, Mahon, Cork, on August 25, 2007.
Prosecution witness, Pat Bradley, was working with Brian McKee until around 8.30pm that evening and they had 12 bottles of Budweiser and a litre of Southern Comfort between them that night.
Mr Bradley testified, “Quinny (several witnesses referred to Quinlan by this nickname) had a knife and something else in his other hand. Brett had a knife and something else in his other hand. Brian ran across this way (pointed to a map of the area) and he slipped. The two of them went down on top of him.”
The witness said that, afterwards, “they were running down towards me, laughing. Jason Quinlan said, ‘Shut up or you’ll get a jab of them’.”.
Mr Bradley of Loughmahon Drive said that the late Mr McKee did argue with his former partner, Ciara Delaney, in the early hours of that morning but he said his only concern was who was minding the two children and he said that the deceased did not spit at Ms Delaney or call her insulting names.
He said that Jason Quinlan arrived at the scene with his girlfriend, Rebecca Delaney – Ciara Delaney’s sister - and they both argued with Mr McKee. He accepted that the deceased and Quinlan had been squaring up to each other on the green.
He said he got Mr McKee back into the house where they had been earlier but that Mr McKee went out again and that it was shortly after this that he fell and was attacked.
Blaise O’Carroll, senior counsel, suggested that Mr McKee had taken a knife with him from the house. Mr Bradley said he didn’t. Asked how he could be sure, Mr Bradley said Mr McKee was not wearing any shirt and it was easy to see he had nothing in his hands.
Ciara Delaney said in her evidence that her former partner of nine years, Brian McKee “was not the kind of person who would hurt people.” She said they often argued and that they argued on the night in question about the fact that she was at a beach party in Myrtleville. She said that during this he spat at her, called her names and slapped her across the face.
She said that before Mr McKee was assaulted she saw John Brett kicking Pat Bradley and telling him, “If you come up you will be getting it too.”
She then said, “Brian ran, he slipped over a hump, Quinny went down on top of him. John Brett went down on top of him.”
The trial continues tomorrow.
