Man saw friend stabbed to death on front lawn, court hears
A man who witnessed his friend being stabbed to death on the front lawn of her home has told a court he saw her attacker standing over her and striking her while saying “don’t f*** with us."
Brendan McGahern (aged 28), with an address at Colismore in Co Cavan has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Amy Farrell at Glenlara, Co Cavan, on January 20, 2006, but guilty to her manslaughter by way of diminished responsibility.
The prosecution has refused to accept his plea.
A jury of eight men and four women in the Central Criminal Court at Dublin heard yesterday, Miss Farrell (aged 21), had given evidence in Virginia District Court against Brendan Kelly - an acquaintance of hers - on January 19, 2006, the day before she was killed.
Kelly was convicted of assaulting her and another man Daniel McCabe.
The court heard Kelly had broken her nose and stolen two cars belonging to her.
The court was told McGahern was at the court with Mr McCabe and Mr McCabe’s girlfriend Stephanie Cahill as Kelly was sentenced to 16 months in prison.
Mr Justice Paul Carney and the court heard from Anthony Gerard Smith who was friends with Miss Farrell and her flatmate Sharon Cosgrove and was at Miss Farrell’s flat when McGahern arrived the following evening, a Friday night.
After asking Miss Farrell what she was doing that night he said McGahern asked if he could speak to her outside.
Moments later Mr Smith heard Miss Farrell screaming and went outside where he saw Miss Farrell on the ground with McGahern standing over her.
“I saw him strike her but it was only when he stood back that I realised what he was doing,” Mr Smith said.
He saw a knife in McGahern’s hand.
“During the time he was standing over her, ‘don’t f*** with us’ he was saying that,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith told Mr Alex Owens SC for the director of public prosecutions he saw McGahern run off towards Cavan town, as Miss Farrell lay motionless on the ground.
Under cross-examination by defence counsel David Kennedy SC he said he knew McGahern’s family.
He said he had gone to primary school with McGahern, who knew he was "a bit slow".
Mr Kennedy said McGahern had been brain damaged at birth, was illiterate and had been teased and bullied as a child.
He said McGahern had left school at 16 and had fallen in with a bad crowd and had drug and alcohol problems. He asked Mr Smith if he knew McGahern had spent time in a mental hospital in Dundrum or whether he knew McGahern’s parents had to rescue him off the street because he could not look after himself.
Mr Smith said he did not know these things.
He agreed with Mr Kennedy McGahern had not concealed the attack or been secretive.
“He asked her outside and attacked her,” Mr Kennedy said.
“He doesn’t recall saying ‘don’t f*** with us’,” Mr Kennedy said.
“That night is embedded into my head. As far as I’m concerned that’s what he said,” Mr Smith replied.
The court also heard from Miss Cosgrove who said Kelly and McGahern had been callers to the flat since she had moved in with Miss Farrell in November 2005 but she did not really know them.
