Dylan Scannell hit Cobh chef with a sword over debt, murder trial told

The prosecution told the jury in the Cobh murder trial that the two men knew each other

The prosecution case is that Dylan Scannell (pictured) attacked and struck Ian Baitson with a sword causing his death. File picture: Dan Linehan

A 30-year-old Cobh man got out of a car shortly before nine o’clock at night at a shopping centre car park to meet a man who owed him money and he struck him with a sword, it was alleged on Tuesday at the opening of a murder trial in Cork.

Dylan Scannell of O’Rahilly Street, Cobh, County Cork, replied to the charge of murdering Ian Baitson, in Eurospar car park, Newtown Road, Cobh, on March 19, 2024: “Not guilty to murder, guilty of manslaughter.” 

His trial before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women is expected to go on until June 6 at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. The date on the charge refers to March 19, 2024, where it is alleged that the deceased was fatally injured four days earlier.

Prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan gave the jury an outline of the evidence anticipated in the case but stressed to them that this was not itself evidence.

First, Mr O’Sullivan said that for a person to be guilty of murder they must intend to kill or to cause serious injury so that in this case the prosecution must prove that Dylan Scannell intended to kill Ian Baitson or to cause him serious injury.

“The accused man in front of you pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not murder. He accepts he caused the death but he did not have the requisite mental element of intention.

“The events which give rise to this are on March 15, 2024, just over a year ago, at a shopping centre/petrol station in an area of Cobh called Newtown. It is called Eurospar. It is alleged Dylan Scannell attacked and struck Ian Baitson with a sword causing his death. That is in essence what is alleged.

“The two men knew each other. It appears there was a debt owed by Ian Baitson to Dylan Scannell, being paid off bit by bit over a period of time.

“In the immediate aftermath a mobile phone was recovered at the scene with messages from a WhatsApp conversation between Dylan Scannell and Ian Baitson. You will see the messages. There are voice notes as well. In the run-up to the events of March 15 the messages from Dylan Scannell are coming in a more threatening way.

“There is going to be a CCTV montage… At about 8.50pm Ian Baitson left his mother’s home which is very close. He went to the car park at the back of the complex, where there is one of these washing machine facilities… 

The court was told today that it appears Ian Baitson (pictured) owed a debt to Dylan Scannell. File picture

"A car pulled up. A person got out and struck him with a sword. The person who was struck was Ian Baitson. The person who carried out the attack left immediately in the car.

“He was removed to hospital and passed away four days later.

“The Skoda Octavia was tracked by other cameras going to the car park. (Afterwards) it is tracked to various places. It returns to O’Rahilly Street but does not stop there. It goes to Connolly Street right next to the harbour.

“Subsequently, gardaí carried out a search in the Mall, Cobh, a shingle-type beach, and a sword was found (with a DNA match to Ian Baitson).

“The (rental) Skoda Octavia was returned a day or so early. A car mat was seized and blood which was that of the deceased was found.”