Brother-in-law stabbed man at hospital, court hears

A family visit to a sick relative at University Hospital Limerick turned violent when a man was stabbed by his brother-in-law near the busy main entrance, a court heard.

Denis O’Driscoll, aged 25, of Ballysimon Rd, Limerick, has pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to assault causing harm to Edward O’Reilly who lives in Clondalkin, Dublin.

Mr O’Reilly, in evidence, recalled travelling to Limerick on August 29, 2015, with his wife Mary Ann, a sister of the accused.

They came to visit her father, also Denis O’Driscoll, who had been admitted to the hospital having suffered a heart attack.

He and his wife remained at the bedside of his father in law in a ward for three or four hours. As they left the ward at around 8.15pm they were with his wife’s mother and a sister of his wife.

They went to the ground floor to get some refreshments.

While on the ground floor, they came on the accused, Denis O’Driscoll, whom they know as “Tony”.

Tony, he said, was mouthing off and he told the accused it was best left for another place.

As he went out the main hospital exit, the accused came for him and an altercation and scuffle occurred.

Mr O’Reilly realised he had been stabbed and the accused left the area.

There was blood coming from a wound on his left side above the waist.

Mr O’Reilly said he when to the Shannon Doc clinic across the road from the hospital where he got six stitches for the wound.

Garda Vincent Donnellan said he took pictures of Mr O’Reilly’s wound at Shannon Doc.

On examining the scene near the hospital entrance he could not find any traces of blood.

The trial before a jury of eight men and four women continues.