Witness gives evidence in trial of brothers for 2006 murder

An eye-witness in the case of a father of six who was fatally stabbed in front of his wife and children, has told the Central Criminal Court she saw two men “beating and jabbing” him while blood ran out of him “like a river.”

Amanda Maguire (aged 25), a friend and next door neighbour of Christopher Cawley, said she heard him pleading with his attackers to stop, saying “leave me alone, me kids” but they kept beating him.

The witness told the jury today she regonised one of the men as Warren Dumbrell, but did not know the second man.

Mr Cawley (aged 33), died after being stabbed six times in the stairwell of the flat complex where he lived at Tyrone Place in Inchicore, Dublin, in October 2006.

Brothers Warren and Jeffrey Dumbrell, 36 and 30, and both of Emmet Place in Inchicore, are on trial for the murder. They have both pleaded not guilty.

Ms Maguire said she had been watching television with her mother and boyfriend on the evening of October 29, 2006, at her flat in Tyrone Place, when she heard screaming coming from outside.

She ran out to the second floor balcony and saw Janet Cawley waving a stick and screaming “get away from him, get away from him.”

Ms Maguire looked over the balcony and saw Mrs Cawley's daughter, and then saw Christy Cawley slumped on the ground, half in and half out of the stairwell.

She also saw his five-year-old son on the stairs. There were two men on top of Mr Cawley, she said, one was beating him with what looked like a hurley, and the other was on top of him.

“It looked like he was jabbing him, but I couldn't see anything in his hand. Christy was making noises and asking them to leave him alone. He said leave me alone, me kids” she recalled.

She said several other neighbours had gathered and were screaming at the men to stop, but they kept “beating and jabbing him.”

Ms Maguire said she shouted out that Mr Cawley was being stabbed. “The only reason I knew that is because I saw a colossal amount of blood, it was coming out of him like a river.”

The two men ran off she said and Mr Cawley was asking for help so she ran inside and her mother rang for an ambulance.

A number of neighbours tried to give Mr Cawley mouth to mouth “but it wasn't doing any good” the witness said. Paramedics also tried to resuscitate him when they arrived.

Mr Cawley was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead at 8.33pm. He had been stabbed three times in the back, once in the hip, and once in the back of each thigh.

Warren Dumbrell's defence lawyer, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, asked Ms Maguire if it would be a more accurate description to say one of the men had been pounding Mr Cawley, rather than jabbing him.

“It all happened very quickly” she said.

Mr Justice Paul Butler has warned the jury that it is “vitally important” they do not discuss the case with anyone or make any independent inquiries of their own in the media.

The case continues tomorrow before the jury of 10 men and two women.