One of two men allegedly stabbed by their younger brother has claimed that he witnessed a scene “out of a horror film” and feared that his sibling would die as blood was “firing” out of his arm.
John Brennan told a trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that he made a makeshift tourniquet out of a belt in the hope that it would halt the blood flowing from the left arm of his brother Jerry Brennan jnr after he was allegedly stabbed by their brother William.
William Brennan (32) of Longbridge, Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, Co Cork, denies causing serious harm to his brothers John and Jerry Brennan jnr at a property in Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, Co Cork, on August 17th, 2024. He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of producing a knife on the same occasion.
The court previously heard that the property in Ballyhalwick had been in the ownership of Jerry Brennan snr. It was signed over to the three brothers a number of years before the alleged stabbing incident. The yard was in common ownership between the brothers.
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John Brennan said he and Jerry Brennan jnr arrived at the property between 5pm and 6pm on August 17th, 2024 and had been doing some tidying on-site.
John said that he and Jerry jnr had a habit of locking the gate when they were inside, as a judge had directed that the siblings should not be in the property at the same time as their younger brother William.
He said he was working on a vintage tractor he owned in a shipping container when he heard a “commotion” outside.
John said that about 10 minutes later, he heard the gate opening and William walked past the container.
“I assumed he (William) had cut the lock. Seconds later, he was shouting. He seemed angry and upset. I went out of the container. I saw Willy and Jerry (jnr) standing together.
“They were just standing side by side, motionless. I could see Jerry (jnr) holding his arm. I walked over and there was blood firing out of his arm. He (William) was holding a knife. I shouted at Jerry, ‘he is after stabbing you.’
“It just happened so fast. I took a step back. I was in disbelief. I stumbled backward. He (William) had made some attempt with the knife. I picked up a stick from the ground and tried to prevent him from doing anything to me. I definitely hit him once, but it could have been twice.
“I didn’t know at this stage he (William) had stabbed me. I was in shock.”
John claimed that they “ran for their lives” out of the place. He said that his father Jerry snr was at the entrance to the property.
Under cross-examination by defence barrister Jane Hyland, John Brennan denied having anything to do with the burning out of an excavator owned by William Brennan earlier on the day of the alleged stabbing offence.
He also denied that he and his brother Jerry jnr had passed their father Jerry snr on the same day holding their lighters aloft.
Hyland put it to John Brennan that he was “bound to the peace” at the time of the alleged stabbing. He agreed that was the case.
He said that he was convicted of assault arising out of an incident but insisted that he had been acting in self-defence. John claimed that he had punched his father Jerry jnr in a bid to defend himself after he tried to cut his fingers off.
The case continues on Wednesday in front of a jury.
