Stab accused intended to 'put frighteners' on men

A man who stabbed a young Dublin computer analyst said he was handed a knife by his friend as he left a party and intended only to defend himself and “put frighteners” on a couple of young men waiting outside for him, a murder trial heard today.

At the Central Criminal Court Det Sgt Gerald Feeney was giving evidence on the seventh day of the trial of 21 year-old Stephen Kelly.

Mr Kelly, of Westpark, Artane, Dublin denies murdering Mr Jonathan Guy (aged 21) of Belcamp Crescent, Priorswood outside a house at Newgrove Estate, Donaghmede, Dublin in March 2001.

The court heard that Mr Kelly was first arrested by gardai on the day that Mr Guy was taken to Beaumont Hospital in a critical condition.

His condition deteriorated and he died as a result of a stab wound to the chest on March 11.

The accused was re-arrested and Det Sgt Feeney told the court today that “from day one he admitted the stabbing”.

Mr Tom O’Connell SC for the prosecution read from a statement the accused made to gardai in which he said that a knock on the door during the party caused “panic stations” and caused him and a number of friends to go to the kitchen cutlery drawer.

“What I do know is it was panic stations, I got a spoon, cutlery knife and a pencil,” he told gardai.

He said he was handed the knife by one of his friends, Karl Rheinisch. “I didn’t see any other knife other than the one I had; it was only when it was handed to me that I saw it was a knife,” he said.

He said that Mr Rheinisch was the first one at the drawer, but said he was not responsible for stabbing Mr Guy outside the house. “Rheinisch could not have stabbed him, I know I did that,” he said.

He told the gardai that he was not looking for “anything in particular” when he went to the cutlery drawer and was “frightened and scared knowing it was only me they were after”.

“I didn’t deliberately set out to stab anyone, I had the knife for my own safety, for self defence. It would put the frighteners on them,” he continued.

When he left the party he said he was punched in the head, but that Mr Guy was not responsible for hitting him.

“I was hit a box on the head, it was aimed at my direction. It wasn’t a full blow, I wasn’t hit with a hammer or pole,” he said. “The fella I hit with the knife had nothing in his hand as far as I recall, he wasn’t the one who hit me”.

The court has already heard that Mr Guy was standing idly in the front of the house after his friend became involved in a row with Mr Kelly. He had not been at the party and had come from a house next door to see what was going on.

When asked by gardai why he didn’t leave the house by the back door Mr Kelly said, “I took the silly option didn’t I? I will regret that for the rest of my life, I’ve no explanation for it.”

He told gardai he was “terribly sorry for the pain and hurt” caused by the incident and in his earlier statement on March 5 said he hoped Mr Guy “makes a full recovery”.

The Deputy State Pathologist gave evidence that the deceased died on March 11 as a result of a stab wound to the chest, which punctured his left lung and entered his heart.

Attempts to save his life were unsuccessful due to massive blood loss, which rendered him brain dead and caused cardiac arrest.

She said the stab wound had entered the chest cavity at a “downward angle” and identifying the knife recovered by gardai, said it could have caused the fatal wound with “only moderate force”.

Under cross-examination by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC for the defence she said it was difficult to say what the “true angle was” due to the extensive surgery carried out on Mr Guy.

She agreed the wound might have been caused by a sudden lunge of the knife but said a number of variables would have to be taken into account

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Barry White.