Possible I used knife, admits nurse

A psychiatric nurse has accepted it is possible he had a knife and used it in an incident in which five people were allegedly stabbed.

Brian Quinn, aged 46, told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court he made a Garda statement to be helpful with the investigation, but described his memory of the event as “hazy or sketchy” after he was allegedly beaten on the head with a baseball bat.

The accused, now living in Balbriggan, has pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Stephen Keogh, Lee Harte, and his then neighbour, James Toner Sr, on Oct 9, 2011 at his former Deer Park Avenue address, in Kiltipper, Tallaght.

He also denied assault causing harm to Kurtis Lennon, James Toner Jr, and Robert Ryan. He also pleaded not guilty to the production of a knife.

Mr Quinn said he saw a “sea of faces pushing in” to his house and his partner being attacked by two or three men at the door.

He said he believed his and his partner’s lives had been in danger, but his memory is limited because of the blows to his head.

Mr Quinn said he had “no reason not to believe” a garda’s evidence that he had pointed to a corkscrew when asked about what could have been used. He added that he had no distinct memory of getting to hospital, but recalled being in a hospital bed.

He said Mr Toner Sr had increased threatening behaviour towards him, including making gun gestures and singing the national anthem, since he complained about noise and antisocial behaviour a few months previously.

Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, asked Mr Quinn to explain how he could have given a detailed account to gardaí the day after the event, but now he is saying his memory is hazy.

“My memory is sketchy on the events of the night,” said Mr Quinn. “I can tell you what I felt and what I believe happened.”

Mr Carroll put it to him that he did not “preface” what he put in his statement with “I think this happened, I believe this happened, I don’t know, I can’t remember”.

Mr Quinn agreed with counsel that it was possible he might have screamed at his partner to get into the house and that he might have got hold of a knife and waved it about.

He said he would not have deliberately stabbed any individual.