Cork man received 'vicious' kicks to the head, court hears

A Cork man was beaten, stamped upon and dropped on the ground in a vicious assault which eventually killed him, a court heard today.

Christian Scully, 28, was on a life support machine for nine months before he died, a murder trial was told.

He was left in a vegetative state after the attack in Sober Lane, Cork, in the early hours of January 28, 2002.

Ross Stapleton, 22, and Paul Sheehan, 21, have both pleaded not guilty to his murder.

Eoghan Killoran, was living in Sober Lane at the time. He told Dublin Central Criminal Court that two men in their early twenties had kicked Mr Scully in the head as he lay unconscious in the road.

“I saw Christian Scully lying on the ground motionless as two boys kicked him on the head,” he said.

“They were vicious and they were shouting. One of the lads picked him up and dragged him into the middle of the road – he was limp in their arms. He was punched in the face twice.”

Mr Killoran said he called the gardaí and went outside to have a look after the men had left the scene. He said Mr Scully’s face was swollen up, his eyes were puffed and blood was coming out of his nose.

Barry Linihan who also lived in the street said he saw Mr Scully, from Togher, Cork dropped on the ground and was kicked in the head.

“They were stamping on him and it sounded like they were laughing,” he said.

“He was defenceless. It was very surreal and it’s something I don’t ever want to witness again. It was a fairly vicious assault.”

Both witnesses said the two men had Cork accents and the assault had not lasted more than three or four minutes.

The jury of nine women and three men has heard that Mr Stapleton was arrested on January 30, 2002 and Mr Sheehan the following day. They were charged with murder after Mr Scully’s death nine months later on October 17.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Butler.