A WITNESS in the Caroline Brennan murder trial told gardaí that he was nearby when he saw the accused stab her brother with a knife, shortly before he died at their uncle’s Co Kilkenny house party 14 months ago.
Ms Brennan (19), Love Lane, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, has denied murdering her brother during a party at Barrack Street, Castlecomer, shortly after 3am on December 30th, 2008.
Michael Brennan (22) died after receiving a single stab wound to the heart at the house. His sister appeared at the Central Criminal Court in Waterford city yesterday on the trial’s second day.
Thomas Timmons, from Cabra in Dublin, said he could not remember making a statement to gardaí on December 31st, 2008. However, reading from this statement, John O’Kelly SC, prosecuting, said Mr Timmons was sitting “in the middle” of a couch while Ms Brennan and her brother were arguing.
“I couldn’t hear what Michael and Caroline were saying . . . they were just shouting at each other.
“I saw her with the knife . . . it was at hip level,” said Mr Timmons. “She just had it in her hand . . . she just stuck the knife in Michael. Michael fell backwards on to the ground – he was still breathing.”
People had been drinking and taking cocaine and cannabis resin at the party, the court has heard.
Keith Byrne, Ms Brennan’s boyfriend, said he saw her take a knife from her apartment earlier that night. Ms Brennan had told him: “I’m afraid of Michael; afraid of what he’ll do.”
“I said, ‘you don’t need that, I’ll take care of you’. She said, ‘you’d never know what he’ll do,” added Mr Byrne.
Mr Byrne said he asked his girlfriend what the knife was for and she said she needed it “for protection”. Mr Byrne said Mr Brennan had told him of his heroin use and he told his girlfriend, but when Ms Brennan challenged her brother, he denied it and became very aggressive.
Michael and Caroline went down to the toilet. Mr Byrne said he became worried for her safety when she did not return after 10 minutes. He said: “She had her head down to indicate something was wrong . . . she said, ‘we need to get out of here; it’s not safe; something’s going to kick off’.”
Mr Brennan had been screaming at his sister. Mr Byrne said that he later saw Mr Brennan punch his own girlfriend, Lisa Peagram, in the face. “He was trying to get out of the [front] door to hit her again. He shouted, ‘if you come near this house again, I’ll smash your f***ing head in’.”
Ms Brennan went in to get Ms Peagram’s coat, bag and mobile phone and Mr Brennan was mopping the floor, the court heard.
“I saw Michael hit Caroline backhanded across the jaw; she fell out the door. I put up my hand to hit him and Michael slumped to the ground,” Mr Byrne said. “Caroline was outside, on the floor, knocked out.”
She woke seconds later and started “screaming, crying”. She then said, ‘I can’t believe I stabbed my brother’,” he said. “Someone opened his shirt; I saw a small gash under his left nipple,” Mr Byrne said. The trial continues.