Baby watched TV during stabbing, murder trial hears

THE baby son of a woman stabbed to death by her estranged partner sat watching television on the couch as his parents struggled over the weapon, a court has heard.

Hadim Kedik, 32, with an address at 10 Connolly Street, Clonakilty, Co Cork, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rose Patterson, 30, between April 11 and 12, last year.

Kedik, who turned the knife on himself after the struggle, has admitted to gardaí he caused the stab wounds that killed his estranged partner Ms Patterson, but he said he did not plan to kill her.

The Central Criminal Court at Dublin heard from Detective Garda Maurice Shanley who spoke with Kedik on April 12, in Cork University Hospital, after the stabbing.

Kedik told him the couple had been arguing over access visits for their 21-month-old son because Ms Patterson had not been bringing his son for visits when she was supposed to.

Mr Shanley told John O’Kelly for the Director of Public Prosecutions Kedik told him Ms Patterson had pushed him twice.

Kedik said he picked up a black handled knife off the table and swung it at Ms Patterson two or three times.

“There was a struggle for a while and she couldn’t take the knife,” Kedik told Mr Shanley.

Throughout the struggle their son sat on the couch watching television, Kedik told Mr Shanley.

Kedik said he could not think about getting help for Ms Patterson and he wanted to harm himself.

The court heard earlier the Turkish barber who arrived to work in Clonakilty in 2002 was inconsolable in the days before the killing because his son had a suspected broken finger.

Romazan Cansu told Blaise O’Carroll SC for Kedik, his friend was “inconsolable” about his child’s suspected broken finger telling him Ms Patterson, who had two children from a previous relationship, was not looking after their child.

Mr Cansu said Kedik told him “if somebody killed him or he slashed his wrists he wouldn’t care”.

He said Kedik had told him “she was going to pay”.

Ms Patterson was found stabbed to death in Kedik’s flat on April 12, Kedik laying face down with self-inflicted cuts to his throat and neck and their baby son sleeping near their bodies.

Yesterday the jury of eight men and four women also heard from medical officers who attended the bloody scene.

Dr Liam O’Brien described an overwhelming stench of dried blood and paramedic Amy Enright described the couple’s son as crying and covered in blood and vomit.

“There was blood all over the whole room,” she said.

The court heard yesterday both men had served in the Turkish army fighting in eastern Turkey.

Mr Cansu told the court Kedik told him he had seen many of his friends die in battle and his own father was dead.

He said Kedik’s drinking became worse when he separated from Ms Patterson.

Among items found in the flat were three blood-stained knives, a quarter bottle of vodka with bloody finger marks on it and blood stained letters written in Turkish. A broken cell phone was found beside Ms Patterson’s body and the court heard it looked as though a struggle had taken place.

The trial before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy continues.