A man has told a jury that he feared his brother would die after witnessing what he described as a scene “out of a horror film” during an alleged stabbing incident in west Cork.
John Brennan was giving evidence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court in the trial of his younger brother, William Brennan, who denies charges arising from the incident.
William Brennan (32), of Longbridge, Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, Co Cork, has pleaded not guilty to causing serious harm to his brothers, John Brennan and Jerry Brennan Jr, at a property in Ballyhalwick on 17 August 2024. He has also pleaded not guilty to producing a knife on the same occasion.
The court previously heard that the property had been owned by the brothers’ father, Jerry Brennan Sr, and was signed over to the three siblings a number of years prior to the alleged incident. The yard was held in common ownership.
John Brennan told the court that he and Jerry Brennan Jr arrived at the property between 5pm and 6pm on the day in question to carry out some work. He said a number of CCTV cameras on the property had been removed and that they had locked the gate, as a court direction meant they should not be there at the same time as William Brennan.
He said he was working on a vintage tractor inside a shipping container when he heard a “commotion” outside. He later saw William Brennan attempting to cut the padlock on the gate with a grinder.
John Brennan said that about 10 minutes later he heard the gate open and saw his brother enter the yard. “Seconds later he was shouting. He seemed angry and upset,” he said.
Describing the incident, he told the jury: “They were just standing side by side motionless. I could see Jerry (Jr) holding his arm. I walked over and there was blood firing out of his arm. He (William) was holding a knife. I shouted at Jerry – ‘he is after stabbing you’.”
He said events unfolded quickly and he reacted by picking up a stick. “I definitely hit him once, but it could have been twice. I didn’t know at this stage he had stabbed me. I was in shock,” he said.
John Brennan told the court that when William Brennan paused, he and Jerry Jr “ran for their lives” from the yard. He said their father was at the entrance and he asked him for car keys to bring his injured brother to hospital.
“I thought he was going to die. There was blood everywhere,” he said, adding that his father refused to hand over the keys.
The jury heard that a passing motorist, Tim Connolly, stopped to assist. John Brennan said he helped his brother into the van and used a belt as a makeshift tourniquet. “It might help save you Jerry,” he said he told him.
He also told the court that he later realised he had been injured. “I noticed I was getting weak. Jerry pointed to my overalls and said ‘you are after getting stabbed’.”
During cross-examination, defence counsel Jane Hyland SC put it to John Brennan that there had been earlier tensions between the brothers, including allegations that an excavator belonging to William Brennan had been burned on the same day. John Brennan denied any involvement.
He also rejected suggestions that he had anger issues, telling the court he had worked for 13 years as a marine engineer on a superyacht and had been vetted for the role.
John Brennan accepted he had previously been “bound to the peace” following an assault conviction but said he had acted in self-defence in that incident. He also denied claims that his brother Jerry Jr had assaulted William Brennan in the past.
Ms Hyland put it to the witness that he had fabricated parts of his account and that William Brennan had acted in self-defence when producing a knife. John Brennan denied these suggestions.
The trial continues before a jury of eight men and four women.
