Cork murder trial hears man's last words were 'Am I going to die?'

The defence senior counsel suggested that this morning's witness was trying to minimise the behaviour of the deceased, Conor Quinn, on the evening of the alleged incident

Tyler Jackson has denied the charge of murdering Conor Quinn in Mallow on July 12, 2018. 

A 24-year-old Galway man visiting Mallow with cousins after a day at the Cahirmee Horse Fair collapsed from a single stab wound and his last words were recalled at a murder trial: “I’m after being stabbed, I’m after being stabbed, am I going to die?” 

Defendant, Tyler Jackson (also known by the nickname, Tiggy) of Ballydaheen West, Mallow, Co Cork, denied at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, the charge of murdering Conor Quinn, 24, at Bridge Street, Mallow, County Cork, on July 12, 2018.

The late Conor Quinn’s cousin, Luke Quinn, was beside him when he collapsed on Bridge Street moments after sustaining a single stab wound to the chest, and he told Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and the jury of eight men and four women what he recalled of that evening.

Luke Quinn said Conor jumped out of the car at Bridge Street when he saw Tiggy across the street outside Cremin’s Cycles. 

“That’s when Tiggy stabbed Conor into the chest. I just saw one blow from the right hand of Tiggy to the chest. Conor fell. He ran across the road. He took off his t-shirt and held it to his chest.

Luke Quinn said:

He said, ‘I’m after being stabbed, I’m after being stabbed, am I going to die?’ I held Conor up. He had the T-shirt up to his wound. He fell to the ground… It was a very traumatic day, it was more like a movie. 

Cross-examining the witness, defence senior counsel Brian McInerney said they seemed to have driven up every highway and byway of Mallow rather than saying that Conor was angry and they should get him back to the house and out of Mallow. Luke Quinn said the plan had been to go home to Killavullen. He said that at no stage did he see his cousin Conor with any knife or weapon.

Luke’s brother, Stephen Quinn, confirmed his Garda statement that the deceased had said in the car in relation to Tiggy and others: “I’m vexed over those bastards.” 

As for not going home there and then, Stephen Quinn said: “We didn’t think it would come to anything at the time.” 

Mr McInerney said: “Mr Jackson denied having a weapon. He did not have a knife when he interacted with Conor so it was Conor had the knife.” The witness said: “That is totally incorrect.” 

Another relative in the car, Richard Cannon, was cross-examined about Conor saying “he was going to catch him and kill him”. Mr Cannon said: “That was a figure of speech. I’d say the same myself.” Mr McInerney remarked: “Oh is that a common figure of speech in Mallow.” 

Samantha Quinn, another cousin of the deceased gave evidence of also travelling in the Audi with him and other relatives from the Cahirmee horse fair to Mallow at around 8 p.m. that evening.

In the moment where it is alleged that Mr Jackson stabbed Mr Quinn, the witness said the defendant put his hand towards the deceased man’s chest once but she did not see anything in his hand. 

She said: “He stabbed him. Tiggy stabbed my cousin, Conor, in the chest. Then Conor fell down to the ground. He did not fully fall down. It was like someone who was tripping. He fell forwards. He had sunglasses on his head — they fell on to the ground.

Conor ripped off his t-shirt and put it up against his chest… There was an ambulance coming up the street. We all got out of the car. Conor ran towards the ambulance and tried to open the door. He was still holding his chest. He leaned against the wall of those apartments. Then he slowly fell to the ground.

Mr McInerney cross-examined the witness, first confirming that the deceased man’s girlfriend was pregnant and very close to giving birth at that time. Mr McInerney asked the witness about the late Conor Quinn that night, and earlier that day. “Was he hopping mad and looking to do damage to somebody?” She replied: “No”.

She also said Conor Quinn was not very intoxicated but Mr McInerney said a toxicology report on the deceased showed that he had 181 mgs of alcohol per 100 mls of alcohol, and “a lot of substances” including cocaine.

She said she did not see the deceased, Conor Quinn, carrying a weapon at any stage. Mr McInerney said one witness described seeing him in the park in Mallow and that “he was very angry, he was waving around a weapon”. 

Mr McInerney also said that another witness heard him say “I’m going to kill him” and saw him “pull a black object from his pants and swung it overhead”. 

Mr McInerney said this witness also heard Conor Quinn say “there is no god, I’m an atheist”. The defence senior counsel reminded Samantha Quinn of her statement to gardaí where she said of the deceased: “He was mad, roaring at Tiggy". In court she confirmed: “Yes. He was mad.” 

She also confirmed that on one occasion that evening, Conor jumped out of the Audi when it was moving. Mr McInerney asked the witness if she knew that Conor Quinn had been a trained boxer. She replied that she did not know that.

She said she did not see anything in Tyler Jackson’s hands when one of his hands went towards her cousin’s chest but she said his sleeves were “half-way up his hands.” 

Mr McInerney said the accused man was described by another witness in the book of evidence as “not having two seconds to react because of the speed of Conor Quinn running at him.” 

The defence senior counsel suggested that the witness was trying to minimise the behaviour of the deceased that evening. Mr McInerney said: “He was in an aggressive, attacking mood that night and most of the day.” Ms Quinn replied: “Yes, at times.” 

Mr McInerney said: “At no time that evening did Tyler Jackson have a knife or a blade. Nor did he stab Conor Quinn.” Samantha Quinn replied: “So why did Conor die? Why did he have a lesion in his chest that we could see?” 

The case continues.