Courts

Woman tells attempted murder trial that ex-partner broke two knives during attack

Cristal O’Brien says Philip Cox threatened to stab her ‘to pieces’ during December 2022 incident in Dublin

The jury was told on Tuesday that Philip Cox had previously pleaded guilty to producing a knife among other charges. Photograph: Getty Images
The jury was told on Tuesday that Philip Cox had previously pleaded guilty to producing a knife among other charges. Photograph: Getty Images
Fionnuala Walsh
Tue Dec 10 2024 - 18:07

A woman has taken the stand in the attempted murder trial of her ex-partner, telling a jury how he threatened to stab her “to pieces” and broke two knives before going to retrieve a third in an attack where he inflicted knife wounds to her leg.

Philip Cox, with an address at York Street Flats in Dublin 2, has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his former partner Cristal O’Brien, at that address on December 1st, 2022.

Opening the case on Tuesday, Timothy O’Leary SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, told the jury that Mr Cox had previously pleaded guilty to producing a knife, aggravated burglary and assault causing harm.

Mr Justice Tony Hunt said it is the jury’s job to decide whether Mr Cox intended to kill Ms O’Brien beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Giving her evidence to the trial, Ms O’Brien told Mr O’Leary that on the night of the attack, Mr Cox had finished work early, went to the pub across the road from her flat and returned at around 12.30am.

She said that initially they were getting along well and making plans for Christmas, before an argument started.

She said that the accused was suggesting that she went out drinking every night and she eventually “told him to go f**k himself”.

Ms O’Brien said that the accused then walked into the kitchen and picked up a large kitchen knife, saying: “You don’t like the truth, I’ll show you the truth.”

At this stage, Ms O’Brien attempted to call gardaí, but she said Mr Cox knocked the phone out of her hand and threw it away.

Ms O’Brien said she then went outside to the common landing of the flats, followed by Mr Cox, who she said told her: “I will actually stab you.”

She said she then began banging on her neighbour’s door, while Mr Cox threatened to “stab her to pieces”.

After this, Ms O’Brien ran down one flight of stairs before she said the accused knocked her to the ground and tried to stab her.

Ms O’Brien said her neighbour, Alice McGrath, had run out of her own flat upon hearing the noise and together they both ran into Ms McGrath’s flat and bolted the door. At this point Ms O’Brien said she directed Ms McGrath to call the gardaí.

She said that Mr Cox then returned, smashed the window in the door of her neighbour’s flat and opened the bolt from the inside.

“He came straight for me. I was sitting on the sofa and he started trying to stab me. I was sitting up kicking my legs,” the witness told counsel.

Ms O’Brien said that Ms McGrath was pulling at Mr Cox’s jersey trying to get him off her, but he still stabbed the witness twice in the leg.

She said that at this stage, the second knife also broke in the assault and she told Mr O’Leary that Mr Cox said “he was going to finish me off”.

When he left the flat to retrieve another knife, Ms O’Brien said that she went to hide behind the door in the kitchen. She said Ms McGrath told Mr Cox when he returned that she had gone upstairs. She said when he went up the stairs, Ms O’Brien and Ms McGrath escaped out the door and down the stairs of the building.

She said they hid behind a car outside until gardaí and an ambulance arrived.

Ms O’Brien said she was taken to St James’s Hospital, where she received stitches for both of her stab wounds, a tetanus shot and treatment for her busted lip and bruising to both her arms.

The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Hunt and a jury of eight men and four women.