A MAN suffered a serious brain injury after trying to break up a row outside a pub, a manslaughter trial has heard.
Michael Cronin (41) died in hospital 28 days after an incident on Hyde Road in Limerick city on May 11th, 2008. James Kelly, Ballingarde, Ballyneety, has pleaded not guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to manslaughter.
On the opening day of the trial yesterday, John O’Sullivan SC said it was the prosecution’s case that the assault caused the death of Mr Cronin.
Mr O’Sullivan told the jury that Mr Cronin had gone to the Parkview Bar on Hyde Road with his partner, Dolores Kennedy, on the night of the incident. He said Ms Kennedy was standing outside the pub when she saw Mr Kelly and her son Jason having words.
She saw Mr Kelly walking away from the group with a bottle in his hand, which he threw at her car, cracking the windscreen.
She went back inside the pub to get her partner and her son confronted Mr Kelly. Mr O’Sullivan said a scuffle broke out and a number of others got involved, including Mr Cronin.
It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Kelly punched Mr Cronin causing him to fall suddenly on concrete as a result of which he suffered serious head injuries.
Mr O’Sullivan said Mr Kelly struck Mr Cronin with one punch. He had come outside to break up matters when one “forcible punch caused him to fall to the ground in a helpless type of fall”.
He was taken to the Mid-Western Regional Hospital. The jury was told a scan showed Mr Cronin had suffered a brain injury. He was transferred to Cork University Hospital, where he died on June 8th, 2008.
The trial is due to continue today before Judge Carroll Moran and a jury.