Jury hears details of ‘savage attack’

AN “extremely savage attack” in which a 30-year-old man was stabbed to death in a house in Killarney, in April 2007, was yesterday described to a jury.

Two brothers, Gerard and Shane O’Riordan were subsequently jailed for the manslaughter of James Brazier, at Pinewood Estate, Killarney.

Mr Brazier was lying in bed with a 15-year-old girl when the attack took place in a bedroom in her home in the early hours of April 15, 2007.

Three others, meanwhile, have gone on trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee on eight charges of impeding the arrest of the brothers in the immediate aftermath of the fatal stabbing.

All three have pleaded not guilty.

The brothers left the house quickly after the attack and were driven to the home of their uncle, Daniel O’Riordan, near Newmarket, Co Cork, before being taken to Co Monaghan, the court has been told.

Thomas O’Brien, 33, of 105, Pinewood Estate, is charged with driving the brothers from Killarney to Gleannamuckla, Taur, Newmarket, Co Cork, on April 15, 2007.

He is further charged with bringing a change of clothes from Killarney to the O’Riordan brothers; with removing bloodstains from his car and with driving the brothers to Castleblaney, Co Monaghan

Lisa O’Sullivan, 28, from Flat C6, Belgrave Place, Wellington Road, Cork, is charged with telephoning her brother in Co Tyrone to organise accommodation for the pair. She is also charged with seeking a passport, birth certificate and cash.

Daniel O’Riordan, 45, is charged with allowing the brothers to enter his home at Gleannamuckla, Newmarket, on April 15, 2007, allowing them to stay there and change their clothes.

On the third day of the trial, Yoshiko Scannell, now aged 19, said she had been in a relationship with Shane O’Riordan, which ended in April 2007. On the evening of April 14, she had been socialising in Killarney with her mother, Margaret, James Brazier and others.

Her mother went home and she and Mr Brazier went to a number of other pubs. In one of the premises, another girl who knew Shane O’Riordan saw herself and Mr Brazier kissing.

Later, Ms Scannell said, Shane and Gerard O’Riordan went to her home at 42 Pinewood Estate where she and Mr Brazier were lying asleep in a single bed. Shane said to her, “it didn’t take you long”. She said she did not see Mr Brazier being stabbed, but saw Gerard O’Riordan kicking him on the floor.

Cross-examined by defence counsel Brian McInerney (for Thomas O’Brien), she agreed she did not want to be in court and also agreed it was an extremely savage attack.

Margaret Scannell, who was asleep in another room, gave evidence of being awoken by the sound of Yoshiko screaming and of going to the bedroom. She saw Shane O’Riordan with a carving knife and he was repeatedly stabbing Mr Brazier who had blood all over his back.

She said her daughter and Mr Brazier were “just friends” and he had been staying in their house that night.

Margaret Scannell said the O’Riordans left the house through the back door, after the attack, but Gerard came back to tell her to call an ambulance and left again.

Mr Brazier, who received 12 stab wounds, died in Kerry General Hospital a few hours after the attack.

The trial is continuing before Judge Carroll Moran and a jury.