Latest news with #Baitson
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Murder accused threatened to chop off chef's fingers in text before fatal attack
A man charged with the murder of a 33-year-old chef sent him a text threatening to chop off his fingers just hours before he was fatally attacked in a car park, a court in Cork has heard. Dylan Scannell, 30, is on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in the city charged with the murder of Ian Baitson in a car park in Cobh, Co Cork in March of last year. Mr Scannell has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. However, he denies murdering the father of two. The trial previously heard evidence that Mr Baitson suffered a 'mostly severed (left) leg' and 'catastrophic bleeding' after he was attacked by a man with a sword in the Eurostar car park on March 15, 2024. He died in Cork University Hospital four days later. On Wednesday, evidence was given of texts and phone calls between the two men. Detective Garda David Kelleher completed a forensic extraction of a mobile phone believed to be that of Ian Baitson. The mobile phone was found in the Eurospar car park in Newtown Road in Cobh in the aftermath of the attack. The court was told that over 300 interactions occurred on WhatsApp between Mr Baitson and Mr Scannell over a period covering August 2023 to March 2024. A number of the messages consisted of the men making plans to meet up so that Ian Baitson could pay off a debt he owed to Mr Scannell. In the period before his death, Mr Baitson maintained he owed Scannell 'less than €500'. However, Mr Scannell insisted that the deceased man owed him €2,500. On February 20, 2024 Scannell texted Mr Baitson that he was 'delusional' after Baitson said he was being 'snappy' and queried the amount owed. On March 10, 2024 Mr Baitson texted Scannell that he would give him €185 that Thursday and then they were 'done'. 'I pay this €185 on Thursday, that is the end of it. You can delete my name, we are done bud.' Mr Scannell, of O'Rahilly Street in Cobh called Mr Baitson a 'cheeky pr***' in response. He said that he had stopped a fella from cutting off his private parts a few months earlier. He subsequently called Mr Baitson a 'scumbag'. On March 14, 2024, Mr Scannell texted Mr Baitson and said he was going to call to his home. Mr Baitson texted back the following day about a text Mr Scannell had sent him of a sexual nature and asked was it a 'threat'. Mr Scannell told him to call it whatever he wanted. 'I am going to smash you when I see you.' A few texts later, Mr Scannell messaged Mr Baitson saying: 'Who do you think you are? Think you are a hard man? I am going to chop your fingers off, you smart c***." The pair arranged to meet that night (the evening of March 15, 2024) in the Eurospar car park in Cobh. The last text Mr Baitson sent Scannell was later that evening, when he told the accused he was on the way to the car park. Evidence was given by Helen Goggin, the mother of the deceased, that Ian had told her he would be back home in a matter of minutes on the evening of March 15, 2024. At about 8.40pm that day he told her he was going to Eurospar. Twenty minutes later, Ms Goggin heard sirens. She was told her son was en route to hospital. She said that four days later, they had to turn off the machine at the hospital. Her son was declared dead. The case will continue on Thursday morning. It is being presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last a week.
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- The Irish Sun
Chef died from injuries after Cork supermarket car park attack by man with sword who he owed money to, murder trial told
A CHEF died from injuries sustained in a car park after he was attacked by a man with a sword to whom he owed money, a murder trial heard. Ian Baitson, 33, died in 2 Dylan Scannell pleaded guilty to manslaughter, not guilty to murder Credit: Cork Courts Dylan Scannell, 30, of O'Rahilly Street, Cobh, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, but not guilty to the murder of Mr Baitson in the Eurospar Opening the case for the prosecution, Senior Counsel Donal O'Sullivan outlined the events which led to the death of Mr Baitson. He said the incident happened at the Eurospar O'Sullivan said: 'It is alleged that Dylan Scannell attacked and struck Ian Baitson with a sword. The two men knew each other. Read more in Irish news 'Apparently there was a debt owed by Ian Baitson to the accused man. "The debt was being paid off over a period of time, bit by bit.' The Prosecutor said gardai recovered Mr Baitson's phone at the scene on which there were These became more threatening leading up to March 15. Most read in Irish News He said there was CCTV footage of the car park at the Eurospar. He told the court that Ian left his home on the evening of March 15 and arrived at the shopping centre car park, which is located near his home. 'APPEARED TO BE A SWORD' He parked at the rear of the complex. Mr O'Sullivan said: 'A car pulled up, a person came out and immediately attacked Ian Baitson with a weapon which appeared to be a sword. 'It is alleged that Dylan Scannell attacked Mr Baitson with the sword, causing his death. "He left the scene in his car, a silver Octavia. 'Unfortunately Mr Baitson passed away four days later.' ROUTE TRAVELLED He said CCTV showed the route travelled by Scannell and Mr O'Sullivan said there was a shingle-type beach and a sword was found there. He also told the court that blood on this weapon showed DNA that matched Ian Baitson's DNA. His blood was also on a mat in the front passenger area of the car, which was rented. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last a week. 2 Ian Baitson died in Cork University Hospital on March 19 Credit: PA
RTÉ News
4 days ago
- RTÉ News
Man goes on trial charged with murder of chef in Cobh
A 30-year-old man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court in Cork charged with murdering a 33-year-old chef in Cobh in March of last year. Dylan Scannell of O'Rahilly Street in Cobh denies murdering Ian Baitson. When he was arraigned yesterday, he replied: "Not guilty to murder, guilty of manslaughter". Ian Baitson was a father of two, a son and a brother. He worked as a chef in the east Cork area. He died on 19 March 2024, four days after he had been attacked with a sword. This morning, at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, Mr Scannell went on trial charged with Mr Baitson's murder. Prosecuting Senior Counsel Dónal O'Sullivan told the jury of six men and six women it is the State's case that Mr Scannell was the person who attacked and struck Mr Baitson with the sword. He said, given that Mr Scannell had pleaded guilty to manslaughter and accepted he caused Mr Baitson's death, his job as prosecutor was to prove that he intended to kill or cause serious injury to Mr Baitson when he attacked him. He said the two men were known to each other and it appeared there was a debt owed by Mr Baitson to Mr Scannell which was being paid off bit by bit. He said after the attack, Ian Baitson's mobile phone was recovered. WhatsApp messages and voice notes between Mr Scannell and Mr Baitson were analysed and the prosecution will say that in the run-up to the events of 15 March the messages from Mr Scannell were becoming more threatening. On the night of the attack, Mr Baitson left his mother's home and went to the nearby Eurospar shopping centre at around 8.50pm. The jury is expected to be shown messages between Mr Baitson and Mr Scannell arranging to meet up. Mr O'Sullivan said CCTV footage would also be shown to the jury showing a person leaving O'Rahilly Street in Cobh in a silver Skoda Octavia and travelling to the car park of the Eurospar in Cobh. He said the State's case is that Mr Scannell attacked Mr Baitson with the sword, causing his death, before leaving the scene in the car. The car was subsequently tracked on CCTV returning to O'Rahilly Street. Gardaí subsequently searched a beach area close to the Mall in Cobh and recovered the sword. Mr Baitson's DNA was found on the sword when it was analysed. A floor mat from the Skoda Octavia was also tested and was found to have Mr Baitson's blood on it. A man who witnessed the attack and a number of people who witnessed the immediate aftermath also gave evidence. Shop worker Eric Thomas said he came out of the shop and saw Mr Baitson lying on his stomach on the ground. He said the man's leg had been almost severed and there was a lot of blood. Emergency first responder Liam Leahy was in the Eurospar when the alarm was raised. He said he heard someone saying a man outside was after having his leg chopped off. He went to help and saw Mr Baitson had suffered a catastrophic bleed. He said he knew the situation was grave. He tried to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet. A doctor arrived along with two paramedic crews in ambulances. Mr Baitson was removed to the emergency department of Cork University Hospital, where he died on 19 March. The trial is continuing. It is expected to last around a week.
