Man killed by sister died from single stab wound to chest

A 22-year-old man whose sister was convicted for his manslaughter over three years ago died from a single stab wound to the chest, an inquest heard yesterday.

Michael Brennan, from Church Avenue, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, was pronounced dead following an argument at a house party on Dec 30, 2008.

Members of his family were present at the coroner’s court in Kilkenny for yesterday’s inquest. They included his sister Caroline Brennan, now aged 22, who was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter following a trial at the Central Criminal Court in Feb 2010.

They were not required to give evidence or make statements to the inquest about the circumstances surrounding the death because details of the case were already heard at the criminal court, coroner Tim Kiely said.

Caroline Brennan was given a five-year suspended sentence by Mr Justice Paul Carney after her trial in Waterford.

At the time, the trial heard she was “afraid” of her brother and had been physically abused by him since she was a child, and she had been threatened by him on the night of his death. They had argued at a house party because Mr Brennan was smoking heroin and drinking.

Assistant state pathologist Dr Michael Curtis told yesterday’s inquest that he performed an autopsy on Michael Brennan’s body on Dec 30, after the remains were formally identified by the deceased’s father, William Brennan.

Death was due to a “single stab wound to the front of the chest”, Dr Curtis said. The wound went through an artery and the right ventricle of the heart and also penetrated the diaphragm and the substance of the liver, he said. There was a large collection of blood in the chest cavity.

There were no signs of any “defence-type injuries”, he said, but there was some bruising to the fingers which suggested “he may have delivered a punch”.

Blood and urine tests showed that Mr Brennan had consumed alcohol and had also taken heroin and cocaine.

The inquest heard that Mr Brennan was found lying on the floor, having been stabbed at a house on Barrack St in Castlecomer, after 3.30am on Dec 30, 2008. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The coroner said yesterday he was “aware” of the verdict of the related case at the Central Criminal Court and that the identity of the person’s involved was not relevant to the inquest.

He recorded a verdict of unlawful killing, from a stab wound to the chest, and expressed his sympathy to the Brennan family.

Afterwards, members of the family declined to comment.