Man remanded in custody charged over Cork double stabbing

Victim was threatened he would be killed if he sought medical treatment, court hears

The court heard the victims were threatened at Mercy University Hospital in Cork.
The court heard the victims were threatened at Mercy University Hospital in Cork.

A man was threatened that he would be killed if he sought medical attention after being stabbed in the throat, arm and leg as he sat in his car in Cork city centre, a court heard.

Gardaí objected to bail for David Ross (30) of Gurranebraher, Cork when he appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Monday on a number of charges relating to an assault on Trevor O'Sullivan and his wife, Kathy Nugent.

Mr Ross is charged with assault causing serious harm to Mr O’Sullivan and with assault causing harm to Ms Nugent at North Main Street in Cork on October 1st, 2019 and with further charges of threatening to kill both of them.

Det Garda Myles Moran objected to bail being granted on the grounds that he feared Mr Ross would commit further offences if released .

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Det Garda Moran said that Mr O’Sullivan and Ms Nugent went to the nearby hospital after the attack where it is alleged Mr Ross threatened to kill them.

"It is alleged by the injured party and his wife that they were threatened when they sought urgent medical attention at the Mercy University Hospital," said Det Garda Moran.

“The injured party knows David Ross for over 10 years. Extensive CCTV footage clearly identified David Ross in the lead-up to and the aftermath of the assault. The nature of the evidence is very strong.”

He told the court that Mr O’Sullivan had to get 50 stitches “following his horrendous assault.”

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy BL that there was an affidavit from Mr Ross, signed by his solicitor Eddie Burke, stating that he would abide by all conditions required of him by gardai if granted bail.

These included that he would reside at an address in Gurranabraher, abstain from intoxicants, keep a curfew, stay away from the injured parties and sign on o regularly at his local Garda station, said Ms McCarthy.

However Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said that the objection to bail was well founded on the basis that more offences could be committed by Mr Ross if he was freed.

He said he was particularly concerned about the allegation the injured parties were threatened when they went hospital for treatment. “It appears to me it would be foolhardy to grant bail in this case,” he said as he refused the application.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times