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Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Chef had leg ‘mostly severed' in sword attack over debt dispute, murder trial told
A murder trial has heard that a 33-year-old chef sustained a 'catastrophic bleed' with his left leg being 'mostly severed' after he was attacked by a man with a sword in a car park in Cobh, Co Cork. Dylan Scannell went on trial at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork on Tuesday charged with the murder of Ian Baitson in Eurospar car park in Newtown Road in Cobh in March 2024. The 30-year-old denies murder. However, he has pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Mr Baitson, who was a father of two, died at Cork University Hospital (CUH) on March 19th, 2024, four days after he was attacked in a car park about two minutes from his home. He had told his mother, Helen, that he was going to the shop and would be back in a few minutes. Shop worker Eric Thomas gave evidence that on the evening of March 15th, 2024, a person ran in to the shop and told him that a man was injured in the car park. READ MORE When he went out he saw a man, whom he recognised as Ian Baitson, lying on his stomach on the ground. He said that he and another man rolled Mr Baitson over. He noted that there was a 'lot of blood.' Mr Thomas said the left leg of the injured man was 'mostly severed.' He and others present used a belt to make a tourniquet. They tried to stop the bleeding with bandages. Dylan Scannell, of O'Rahilly Street in Cobh, Co Cork, at Midleton District Court. Photograph: Cork Courts Limited Another witness, Ron Ellis, said that he was parked in his car in the car park when he saw a man he didn't recognise arrive in a silver Octavia car. He said the car stopped by the bottle bank. Mr Ellis noticed that the car music was 'blaring'. He stated that a man whom he did not recognise got out of the car holding a sword and then proceeded to strike another man with it. 'I was in shock. The man on the ground started shouting and roaring for help. He [the assailant] vanished and the person on the ground started shouting for help. I approached him and saw a lot of blood. I tried to call 999 but I became frustrated with the operator. I ran in to the shop for help.' A third witness, emergency first responder Liam Leahy, said he was in Eurospar when he heard someone say a man outside had just had his leg chopped off. He grabbed his first aid bag from his car and rushed to the assistance of the injured man. A German student also assisted at the scene. A tourniquet was applied. Mr Leahy said he and the other men tried to stop a 'catastrophic bleed'. A doctor and two paramedic crews also attended at the scene. Dr Hugh Doran said when he arrived at the car park Ian Baitson was in cardiac arrest. He and the paramedics went to his assistance, ventilating him with oxygen and giving him cardiac massage. Mr Baitson was then taken by ambulance to hospital. Opening the case, prosecuting counsel Donal O'Sullivan SC said Dylan Scannell and Ian Baitson were known to each other. [ Cobh sword attack victim Ian Baitson remembered as a 'loveable rogue' at funeral Opens in new window ] '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 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 with Mr Scannell allegedly getting out of a silver Skoda Octavia car. '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 alleges that in the aftermath of the attack the silver car was driven to a beach area near the mall in the town. He said that the car stopped in the Connolly Street area right next to the harbour. 'Subsequently, gardaí carried out a search in the Mall, a shingle-type beach, and a sword was found with a DNA match to Ian Baitson.' The case will continue on Wednesday. It is being presided over by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and is expected to last a week.
BreakingNews.ie
26-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Man pleads guilty to the manslaughter of chef in Co Cork
A man has entered a plea of guilty to the manslaughter of a 33-year-old chef in Cobh, Co Cork, in March 2024, whilst denying a charge of murdering him. Dylan Scannell (30) was arraigned at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork this morning on a charge of murdering Ian Baitson in Eurospar car park, Newtown Road, Cobh on March 19th, 2024. Advertisement Mr Scannell of O'Rahilly Street in Cobh stated in reply: 'Not guilty to murder, guilty of manslaughter.' Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford ordered the jury of six men and six women to return on Tuesday morning for the commencement of the murder. She warned them not to 'attempt any independent investigations' overnight. 'No looking up things on the internet, no visiting the locus, nothing like that. It would be disastrous. No going on social media. The integrity of the process must be maintained at all times.' Advertisement In empanelling the jury Ms Justice Lankford told the panel not to serve if they knew any of the witnesses listed or if they were from Cobh in Co Cork or had ties to the area. They were informed that Mr Baitson had worked at Fitzpatrick's in Glounthaune, Co Cork. The date of the charge relates to March 19th, 2024, when Mr Baitson died at Cork University Hospital. It is alleged that Mr Baitson was fatally injured four days earlier on the evening of March 15th, 2024, in the Eurostar car park on the Newtown Road in Cobh. Mr Scannell was first charged with the murder of Ian Baitson on March 25th, 2024, at a sitting of Midleton District Court in Co Cork. Advertisement Prosecution Senior Counsel, Donal O'Sullivan, previously told a pre-trial hearing of the case that the plea of guilty to manslaughter would shorten the duration of the trial. Ireland Two teenagers jailed for murder of Tristan Sherry Read More Mr Baitson is survived by his two children, his mother and brother, extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his father. At his funeral in St Colman's Cathedral in Cobh his brother Richard thanked gardai, paramedics and the staff at the hospital for the assistance they had provided to the family. Mourners were asked to donate to the ICU unit at the hospital in which he died in lieu of flowers. The trial will get underway at 11am on Tuesday in Anglesea Street Courthouse in Cork in front of Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. Mr Scannell will be represented by Tom Creed, SC.
