Murder trial hears chef died in Cork carpark after being attacked with sword
A young chef lost his life from injuries he sustained in a car park in Cobh, Co Cork after he was attacked by a man with a sword to whom he owed money, it was alleged at a murder trial today.
Dylan Scannell (30) went on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork today charged with the murder of father of two Ian Baitson in Eurospar car park in Newtown Road in Cobh in March 2024.
Mr Scannell has denied the murder of Mr Baitson. Prosecution Senior Counsel Donal O'Sullivan gave the jurors a 'roadmap' of the anticipated evidence in the case. However, he emphasised that this was not evidence in itself and to rely on the evidence of witnesses in the case.
Mr O'Sullivan said that Dylan Scannell and Ian Baitson were known to each other.'It appears that there was a debt owed by Ian Baitson to Dylan Scannell being paid off bit by bit over a period of time.'
It is alleged by the State that in the run up to the meeting between the men on March 15th, 2024 messages from Dylan Scannell to Ian Baitson became 'more threatening' in nature. Mr O'Sullivan said that the two men met in the back of the Eurospar complex at around 8.50pm.
'A car pulled up. A person got out and immediately attacked Ian Baitson and struck him with a weapon. It is alleged that Dylan Scannell attacked and struck Ian Baitson with a sword causing his death. The person who carried out the attack left immediately in the car.'
Mr O'Sullivan said that the mobile phone owned by Mr Baitson was recovered in the immediate aftermath of the incident. The jury will hear voice notes between the two men.
Mr O'Sullivan told the jurors that CCTV footage will be viewed over the course of the trial with the montage covering a period of about fifteen minutes in the car park. The jury will also be shown footage of a silver Skoda Octavia car in which Mr Scannell allegedly arrived and left the car park.
Mr O'Sullivan says that in the aftermath of the attack the silver car was driven to a beach area near the mall in the town. It is alleged that the car stopped in the Connolly Street area of Cobh right next to the harbour.
'Subsequently, gardai carried out a search in the Mall, a shingle type beach, and a sword was found with a DNA match to Ian Baitson.'
Mr O'Sullivan said that the rental Skoda car was returned to a rental company a day or so early. The car was examined by gardai and blood matching that of the deceased was found in a mat in the car.
The case continues this afternoon in front of the jury of six men and six women.
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