A FIGHT between two brothers ended in one fatally stabbing the other, a jury at the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Patrick McDonagh (27), Bridge Court, Roslevan, Ennis, denies murdering his brother Charlie (30), at Bridge Court, on January 28th last. He also denies the alternative charge of manslaughter and a further charge of producing a knife in the course of a fight.
In his opening speech, prosecuting counsel Tom McConnell SC told the jury of seven women and five men that, after an evening of drinking, a row between the brothers developed into a "serious, almost gladiatorial fight" that led to a "fratricidal killing." After a fight involving a knife and a hatchet, Charlie McDonagh received 12 stab wounds, including the fatal wound to his stomach.
Anthony Ward told Mr McConnell that he had been staying with Charlie McDonagh while his sister, Charlie's wife, visited her mother in Galway.
They started drinking cans of Guinness and Red Bull at around 8.30pm. After about three cans they opened a bottle of vodka. Mr Ward said that Charlie rang the accused to bring over a bottle of Coca Cola for a mixer. He agreed with Brendan Nix SC, defending, that they had been watching Winning Streak, but the reception wasn't good, so Patrick suggested they go to his house next door.
When the vodka ran out, the three men took a taxi to a local off-licence. Charlie bought cigarettes and Patrick bought two bottles of vodka. Back at Patrick's house they continued drinking and Patrick's wife Donna joined them.
At about midnight, the men decided to go to a nightclub. Mr Ward said Charlie rang a relation and asked for a lift into town as he had been drinking. However, Donna did not want Patrick to go out and Charlie got out of the car to convince him to stay.
Mr Ward agreed with Mr Nix that Charlie McDonagh had a volatile temper and had once bitten his ear. He denied starting to hit Patrick himself and said he did not remember the injuries Patrick received from Charlie.
Mr Nix said that at this stage Patrick had "suffered a slit to his lower ear, a bite on his lip and a broken nose." Charlie left to move his van and he went back to Charlie's house and locked the door. A few minutes later, Patrick arrived and started banging on the front door and shouting.
Mr Ward said he was "frightened, terrified" so when Patrick disappeared round the side of the building, he ran across the road to a relation's house. Patrick meanwhile started breaking the windows of Charlie's house.
The gardaí and an ambulance were called and Patrick was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries.
Some time later, Charlie returned and saw the damage to his house. He attacked Patrick's car, which was parked on the street outside his house.
Neighbour Carol Moynan told Mr McConnell that Charlie went through to her kitchen and started going through the knife rack. "He took the first knife out but he said it wasn't sharp enough. Then he got out another one but he didn't take that either. Then he took out another knife and put it up his sleeve." She agreed with Mr Nix that she had told gardaí "he told me he was going to cut him [ Patrick] up and he told me what he was going to do to him".
Charlie left by the front door taking off his jacket as he went. Patrick came towards him carrying an axe and the brothers fought. They were separated by their sister and her husband but, as Charlie walked back to his house, Patrick picked up the discarded knife and ran at him.