Man waved knife but 'did not know he stabbed victim'

A Dublin man accused of murdering a father of two in north Dublin three years ago told gardaí he did not think he had stabbed the victim.

Mr Peter Dolan (aged 42) of Tulip Court, Darndale denies the murdering Mr Raymond Brown during a disturbance at Clonshaugh Drive in Coolock on April 2, 2005. He also denies assaulting Mr Emmett Taaffe on the same occasion.

Detective Sergeant Donal Brasil told Mr Sean Guerin BL, prosecuting that Mr Dolan attended Coolock Garda Station the afternoon after the incident where he was arrested.

Mr Dolan said he had spent that evening in his local pub with his partner and a friend. He had drunk around 12 pints of Guinness.

On the way home his friend, Mr Noel Courtney, saw his son "in a spot of bother" with a large group of people outside a house and went over to help. He said that two cars then arrived "doing handbreaks" and some men got out carrying baseball bats.

Det. Sgt Brasil said Mr Dolan told gardaí that the men started hitting Mr Courtney and his son with the bats. Fearful for his partner, who was trying to separate the fighting men, Mr Dolan said he ran into the nearby house.

"I was just looking for something to hit with; a pole, a golf club, anything." Unable to find a suitable weapon, he said he went through to the kitchen. "I saw the knife. I picked it up and I chased them. I ran out and I chased them."

Mr Dolan said he had only intended to frighten the men with the bats and had been waving the knife rather than making stabbing movements. He said he did not think he had stabbed someone but acknowledged it was possible.

When gardaí asked him how he was feeling Det. Sgt Brasil said Mr Dolan told him he was feeling "sick, really sick. I am after ruining my life, (my partner's) life, my kid's lives, the Taafes' lives; everybody's to do with this."

Det. Sgt Brasil agreed with Mr John Burn BL, defending, that he had met Mr Dolan for the first time when he arrived at the garda station on April 2, 2005 and had not heard of him before.

He said Mr Dolan's second interview had progressed too quickly for note taking to be used and so a transcription of the video of this interview had been made. He said that he did not think mistakes had been made with this transcription.

Mr Justice Paul Carney adjourned proceedings early to allow for technical difficulties in showing the video footage of the interview to be overcome.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Carney and the jury of seven women and five men.