Obscene Eyedeas
February 7th, 2010, 01:14 PM
Single stab wound to heart killed deceased
A YOUNG Kilkenny woman accused of murdering her brother allegedly brought a knife to the scene of the killing, the Central Criminal Court heard this afternoon.
Caroline Brennan (19), 14 Love Lane, Castlecomer denies murdering her brother Michael Brennan at 35 Barrack Street on December 30, 2008.
Evidence was heard that the girlfriend of the deceased, Lisa Peagram allegedly told the accused "He's going to kill me." and the accused replied "I swear on Gerry's grave he won't get you." before going into the house to retrieve a bag and coat belonging to Ms Peagram. The court heard that minutes later the accused returned and said "'Oh my God I can't believe I stabbed my brother is he ok"
John O'Kelly SC, acting for the prosecution told the jury of nine women and three men in his opening statement to the court that the prosecution would argue that the accused murdered her brother, Michael in the early hours of December 30, 2008 at a party in the house of their uncle, Ollie Nolan. Mr O'Kelly outlined to the jury that they would hear evidence that there was a lot of drink involved and that at around 3am in the course of a row with her brother Caroline Brennan took out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the heart with a single stab wound. Mr Brennan fell to the ground and died from the fatal injury. The court also heard would also be evidence that numerous attempts made to resuscitate Mr Brennan failed. "You will also hear that the knife was brought by the accused from the house she shared with her boyfriend at Love Lane and that there had been bad feeling between her and her brother. When the row broke out she stabbed Michael Brennan and he died from the wound he sustained," Mr O'Kelly said.
The first witness to be called in the case was Detective Garda Padraig Coone who is attached to the mapping section of An Garda Siochana and is stationed at Harcourt Street in Dublin. A number of maps of the interior of 35 Barrack Street were handed into the court along with maps showing Barrack Street, Love Lane and Church Avenue. Detective Garda Ian Reddigan who is an official photographer attached to the garda technical bureau also handed in sets of photographs to the court showing the scene of the crime and a number of aerial photographs of the town which were taken on December 31, 2008. The court heard that a large number of cans were visible in some photographs and that a brown item wrapped in tin foil had also been photographed. Photographs were also shown of a badly damaged bathroom door at 35 Barrack Street and the location where the knife was found at the rear 36 Barrack Street.
Defence barrister Paddy McCarthy SC asked Det Gda Reddigan if he had been asked to photograph any drugs and the garda told the court he had taken a photograph of a brown item wrapped in tin foil. Mr McCarthy SC then outlined to the court that heroin, cocaine, morphine and cannabis were all found in the deceased's body along with 240mg of alcohol, which is more than three times the legal limit for drink driving.
Mr Eddie Lawlor who was living at 36 Barrack Street with his partner Sarah Byrne on the night of the killing told the court that he had been at home with his partner, his partner's brother Kieran Byrne and Orla Twomey. Evidence was given that the two men were playing the game consol Wii and the two women were chatting in the sitting room at around 9pm on the evening of December 29, 2008. Mr Lawlor told the court that from around 9pm there was a 'bit of commotion' going on next door in the home of Ollie Nolan. "As far as I know he (Ollie Nolan) lived alone but his nephew Michael Brennan and his girlfriend Lisa Peagram would be in and out of Ollies," he told the court. He added that there were 'often quite noisy parties' at 35 Barrack Street.
He told the court that at around 2.30am he went to bed and that his partner Sarah was asleep at this stage. Shortly before 3am he woke up and saw his partner Sarah standing over by the window. "I went downstairs to the porch to see what was going on. The street lighting was poor and the front door of number 35 was open. I could hear general commotion and there were two girls talking outside but I couldn't see the two girls. The two girls were crying, they were upset and saying that they were afraid.
"I went back upstairs as my little girl was unsettled. I went to another window and peered out and saw Caroline Brennan and Lisa Peagram. Sarah said she was going to ring the guards and shortly afterwards I heard a panicky scream, 'I can't believe I stabbed him'. I recognised that voice as Caroline Brennans. Sarah said she was going to ring (the guards) again. I went back downstairs and the door was still open. There was a couple of fellas on the street ringing ambulances and trying to get instructions on what to do. I went back up to check on my daughter and tried to settle her down. When I came down the guards and an ambulance crew and Caredoc had arrived. I don't remember seeing Caroline Brennan outside at that stage."
Mr Lawlor also told the court that there were regular parties at 35 Bararck Street and that his partner had reported them a number of times to the local gardai over disturbances. "There was often banging on the walls and thumping on the walls every so often," he said. When asked by Paddy McCarthy SC if the deceased man had moved in with his uncle prior to his death he replied he didnt know, "Michael Brennan and Michael Tyrell were in and out of there on a regular basis," he told the court. Mr McCarthy SC told the court that Mr Tyrell had recently died from an overdose and that Ollie Nolan was also dead. When it was put to him by Mr McCarthy SC that his girlfriend, Sarah Byrne had told gardai that there were parties that often involved a lot of violence at number 35, Mr Lawlor replied that he was aware of this.
Mr Lawlor also told the court that that he didn't hear a confrontation between Ms Peagram and the deceased but heard the deceased shouting from inside the house and people in there trying to calm him down.
Sarah Byrne also took the stand on the opening day of the murder trial, which is expected to last four days. She told the court that there were regular parties at number 35 and that sometimes they used to spill out onto the street. She told the court that on the night in question she went to bed at around midnight and slept on and off because of the noise until 2.50am. "I heard screaming and shouting and banging doors. I was awake on and off the whole night. It seemed to be getting out of control and I got worried. I went to the window and saw Caroline Brennan and Lisa Peagram outside. I could hear a conversation and I observed that Lisa was looking dishevelled and upset. She was crying and Caroline was trying to console her and telling her she'd be ok. Caroline said to her 'I won't let him get ya'. I rang the gardai and after a while Caroline Brennan went back in to get a coat. I could hear a lot of commotion coming from the house. Caroline came out of the house crying saying 'Oh my God I can't believe I stabbed my brother is he ok. She was hysterical and upset. Herself and other people were trying to see if he was ok and ring ambulances. I rang the garda station again to say that someone had been stabbed.
"I could hear voices but I did not want to make myself obvious. Someone was reassuring Caroline that he was going to be ok and another person phoned an ambulance. I remember the ambulance arriving. People were still coming in and out of the house. I think Caroline Brennan left then, she was panicking and she went around the corner. She was with someone when she walked around the corner. The person said 'We'll sit in the car, don't be worrying. 'The gardai arrived and I saw them clearing people out of the house and taking details. The next morning Kieran pointed out that there was a knife in the back garden.". Ms Byrne also told the court that it had 'sounded like he (the deceased) had hit his girlfriend and immediately after she had seen the accused and Lisa Peagram on the footpath. She also told gardai after the incident that she could hear Michael Brennan going 'mad in the house'. "I could hear banging and people trying to calm him down," she told the court. She added that she heard the accused 'burst out the door saying 'I didn't mean to stab him."
Ms Byrne told the court that over the previous year she had called to the garda station a number of time because of the noise and violence from 35 Barrack Street
The case continues before a judge and jury at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Waterford at 10am tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Last Updated: 04 February 2010 9:36 PM
A YOUNG Kilkenny woman accused of murdering her brother allegedly brought a knife to the scene of the killing, the Central Criminal Court heard this afternoon.
Caroline Brennan (19), 14 Love Lane, Castlecomer denies murdering her brother Michael Brennan at 35 Barrack Street on December 30, 2008.
Evidence was heard that the girlfriend of the deceased, Lisa Peagram allegedly told the accused "He's going to kill me." and the accused replied "I swear on Gerry's grave he won't get you." before going into the house to retrieve a bag and coat belonging to Ms Peagram. The court heard that minutes later the accused returned and said "'Oh my God I can't believe I stabbed my brother is he ok"
John O'Kelly SC, acting for the prosecution told the jury of nine women and three men in his opening statement to the court that the prosecution would argue that the accused murdered her brother, Michael in the early hours of December 30, 2008 at a party in the house of their uncle, Ollie Nolan. Mr O'Kelly outlined to the jury that they would hear evidence that there was a lot of drink involved and that at around 3am in the course of a row with her brother Caroline Brennan took out a knife and stabbed the deceased in the heart with a single stab wound. Mr Brennan fell to the ground and died from the fatal injury. The court also heard would also be evidence that numerous attempts made to resuscitate Mr Brennan failed. "You will also hear that the knife was brought by the accused from the house she shared with her boyfriend at Love Lane and that there had been bad feeling between her and her brother. When the row broke out she stabbed Michael Brennan and he died from the wound he sustained," Mr O'Kelly said.
The first witness to be called in the case was Detective Garda Padraig Coone who is attached to the mapping section of An Garda Siochana and is stationed at Harcourt Street in Dublin. A number of maps of the interior of 35 Barrack Street were handed into the court along with maps showing Barrack Street, Love Lane and Church Avenue. Detective Garda Ian Reddigan who is an official photographer attached to the garda technical bureau also handed in sets of photographs to the court showing the scene of the crime and a number of aerial photographs of the town which were taken on December 31, 2008. The court heard that a large number of cans were visible in some photographs and that a brown item wrapped in tin foil had also been photographed. Photographs were also shown of a badly damaged bathroom door at 35 Barrack Street and the location where the knife was found at the rear 36 Barrack Street.
Defence barrister Paddy McCarthy SC asked Det Gda Reddigan if he had been asked to photograph any drugs and the garda told the court he had taken a photograph of a brown item wrapped in tin foil. Mr McCarthy SC then outlined to the court that heroin, cocaine, morphine and cannabis were all found in the deceased's body along with 240mg of alcohol, which is more than three times the legal limit for drink driving.
Mr Eddie Lawlor who was living at 36 Barrack Street with his partner Sarah Byrne on the night of the killing told the court that he had been at home with his partner, his partner's brother Kieran Byrne and Orla Twomey. Evidence was given that the two men were playing the game consol Wii and the two women were chatting in the sitting room at around 9pm on the evening of December 29, 2008. Mr Lawlor told the court that from around 9pm there was a 'bit of commotion' going on next door in the home of Ollie Nolan. "As far as I know he (Ollie Nolan) lived alone but his nephew Michael Brennan and his girlfriend Lisa Peagram would be in and out of Ollies," he told the court. He added that there were 'often quite noisy parties' at 35 Barrack Street.
He told the court that at around 2.30am he went to bed and that his partner Sarah was asleep at this stage. Shortly before 3am he woke up and saw his partner Sarah standing over by the window. "I went downstairs to the porch to see what was going on. The street lighting was poor and the front door of number 35 was open. I could hear general commotion and there were two girls talking outside but I couldn't see the two girls. The two girls were crying, they were upset and saying that they were afraid.
"I went back upstairs as my little girl was unsettled. I went to another window and peered out and saw Caroline Brennan and Lisa Peagram. Sarah said she was going to ring the guards and shortly afterwards I heard a panicky scream, 'I can't believe I stabbed him'. I recognised that voice as Caroline Brennans. Sarah said she was going to ring (the guards) again. I went back downstairs and the door was still open. There was a couple of fellas on the street ringing ambulances and trying to get instructions on what to do. I went back up to check on my daughter and tried to settle her down. When I came down the guards and an ambulance crew and Caredoc had arrived. I don't remember seeing Caroline Brennan outside at that stage."
Mr Lawlor also told the court that there were regular parties at 35 Bararck Street and that his partner had reported them a number of times to the local gardai over disturbances. "There was often banging on the walls and thumping on the walls every so often," he said. When asked by Paddy McCarthy SC if the deceased man had moved in with his uncle prior to his death he replied he didnt know, "Michael Brennan and Michael Tyrell were in and out of there on a regular basis," he told the court. Mr McCarthy SC told the court that Mr Tyrell had recently died from an overdose and that Ollie Nolan was also dead. When it was put to him by Mr McCarthy SC that his girlfriend, Sarah Byrne had told gardai that there were parties that often involved a lot of violence at number 35, Mr Lawlor replied that he was aware of this.
Mr Lawlor also told the court that that he didn't hear a confrontation between Ms Peagram and the deceased but heard the deceased shouting from inside the house and people in there trying to calm him down.
Sarah Byrne also took the stand on the opening day of the murder trial, which is expected to last four days. She told the court that there were regular parties at number 35 and that sometimes they used to spill out onto the street. She told the court that on the night in question she went to bed at around midnight and slept on and off because of the noise until 2.50am. "I heard screaming and shouting and banging doors. I was awake on and off the whole night. It seemed to be getting out of control and I got worried. I went to the window and saw Caroline Brennan and Lisa Peagram outside. I could hear a conversation and I observed that Lisa was looking dishevelled and upset. She was crying and Caroline was trying to console her and telling her she'd be ok. Caroline said to her 'I won't let him get ya'. I rang the gardai and after a while Caroline Brennan went back in to get a coat. I could hear a lot of commotion coming from the house. Caroline came out of the house crying saying 'Oh my God I can't believe I stabbed my brother is he ok. She was hysterical and upset. Herself and other people were trying to see if he was ok and ring ambulances. I rang the garda station again to say that someone had been stabbed.
"I could hear voices but I did not want to make myself obvious. Someone was reassuring Caroline that he was going to be ok and another person phoned an ambulance. I remember the ambulance arriving. People were still coming in and out of the house. I think Caroline Brennan left then, she was panicking and she went around the corner. She was with someone when she walked around the corner. The person said 'We'll sit in the car, don't be worrying. 'The gardai arrived and I saw them clearing people out of the house and taking details. The next morning Kieran pointed out that there was a knife in the back garden.". Ms Byrne also told the court that it had 'sounded like he (the deceased) had hit his girlfriend and immediately after she had seen the accused and Lisa Peagram on the footpath. She also told gardai after the incident that she could hear Michael Brennan going 'mad in the house'. "I could hear banging and people trying to calm him down," she told the court. She added that she heard the accused 'burst out the door saying 'I didn't mean to stab him."
Ms Byrne told the court that over the previous year she had called to the garda station a number of time because of the noise and violence from 35 Barrack Street
The case continues before a judge and jury at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Waterford at 10am tomorrow (Friday) morning.
Last Updated: 04 February 2010 9:36 PM