Accused in Cobh murder trial didn't account for his movements at relevant time to gardaí

The trial heard about his drug use and how he told gardaí at the time: 'My mental health is not great'

Dylan Scannell (pictured) spoke to gardaí following his arrest on March 22, 2024, for murdering Ian Baitson and he described being a tattoo artist, his drug use, mental health and a head injury he sustained in a fall. File picture: Dan Linehan

The tattoo artist on trial accused of murdering a young man in Cobh by slashing his leg with a sword was questioned by gardaí around a week afterwards but he made no comment when asked to account for his movements at the relevant time.

Dylan Scannell, aged 31, of O’Rahilly St, Cobh, Co Cork, spoke to gardaí following his arrest on March 22, 2024, on suspicion of murdering Ian Baitson. He described being a tattoo artist, his drug use, mental health, and a head injury he sustained in a fall.

He was also questioned about key aspects of the investigation and warned in legal terms that inferences could be drawn from a failure to answer. 

Sergeant Diarmuid O’Neill and Detective Garda Dave Barry put it to him that blood of Ian Baitson was found on the passenger footwell mat of a car in which he (the accused) was present at 20.53 on March 15, 2024, after - gardaí believed - he seriously assaulted Ian Baitson with a sword. 

Asked if he wished to say anything about that, he replied, “No.”

Ian Baitson died on March 19, 2024. File picture

Similar inference explanations were given to him when he was asked why he was present at the Eurospar car park at the relevant time when Ian Baitson was subjected to a brutal assault by him with a sword. He replied: “No comment.” 

This evidence emerged from memos of interviews on March 22 and March 23, 2024, at Midleton Garda Station.

In the murder trial which ran throughout this week Dylan Scannell denied murdering 33-year-old chef, Ian Baitson, in Eurospar car park, Newtown Road, Cobh, on March 19, 2024, but admitted his manslaughter. The prosecution case is almost finished, prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan said on Friday.

Ms Justice Eileen Creedon said to the jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork: “We will go into the final stages of this trial next week.” She asked the jury to return on Tuesday, June 3.

In earlier parts of the interviews talking about his life and background, the accused said he was engaged to be married and that he had worked for years as a tattoo artist and had his own studio at different times, in Cobh and Tralee, and was still doing it at that time in early 2024 on a freelance basis. 

In relation to his own body tattoos, he referred to one on his head of an Egyptian demon. He had an interest in American show dogs and fishing, he said during interviews.

He also said: “My mental health is not great.” He spoke of falling from a roof six weeks previously for which he received hospital treatment. 

Regarding drugs, he said: 

I am taking cocaine — half a lump a day, maybe more. 

He also spoke of taking other drugs including, “acid, mushrooms and ecstasy”. He said his drug-taking began at the age of 13 or 14.

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed said reference was also made to the defendant taking medication, including anti-depressants.

Before the evidence of memos of interviews, there was evidence from two forensic scientists from Forensic Science Ireland. 

Dr Alan Magee said blood samples on a car mat taken in evidence from a rented Skoda Octavia matched the profile of the deceased, Ian Baitson. 

Dr Stephen Clifford said that a sample taken from a sword matched the DNA profile of Ian Baitson, using a different type of DNA test than his colleague used on the mat. 

He explained that the sword-matched DNA could also match a person’s siblings and maternal relatives.