Cobh murder trial hears Whats App exchanges between accused and victim

The man who denies murder at a petrol station in Cobh texted the deceased on the day saying, “I am going to smash you when I see you… I am going to chop your fingers off.” This evidence was given in the trial of 30-year-old Dylan Scannell of O’Rahilly Street, Cobh, County Cork, who denies murdering Ian Baitson, in Eurospar car park, Newtown Road, Cobh, on March 19, 2024 but admits his manslaughter.

March 19 is the date of death in hospital four days after the incident in the car park. Evidence was heard by Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that the deceased bled heavily after being struck to the left leg with a sword.

Detective Garda David Kelleher testified that Ian Baitson’s phone was found at the scene in the car park of Eurospar in Cobh on the day in question and a forensic extraction of all the data on the phone was undertaken.

WhatsApp communications between Ian Baitson and the accused, whose name appeared in the contacts as ‘Dylan Scan’, consisted of 314 interactions – mainly texts but also including voice notes, images and missed or declined calls between August 2023 and March 2024.

Many of the messages consist of arrangements to “meet for coin” and for Ian Baitson to pay money in various amounts to Dylan Scannell.

In the course of these, Ian Baitson said he owed various amounts in the order of hundreds of euro and disputed in one text: “There is no way I owe you €2,500, not a f***ing chance… You want to check that. I know that myself. Not a chance, lad. Don’t even think to say I owe that… I actually have it wrote down myself… I am telling you now, lad. Who do you think you are? Ha. I am skitting how you think you can say that. Ha… I owe you less than €500’.

Dylan Scannell texted in reply: “Who do I think I am? Are you taking the piss? Or do you want it that way?” The deceased texted: “Lad, I am not taking the piss. I never got that much. Are you getting snappy towards me?... It is not even near to the bill. I will send you what I wrote down.” Dylan Scannell replied: “If you think this is snappy, you delusional.” Mr Baitson later texted: “I would never bullshit you, ever.” This exchange occurred on February 20, 2024.

In later texts, the deceased said he had two cousins from Coolock, and the accused wanted to know their full names and their eircodes. The accused texted on March 10: “My buddy reckons he knows them”, adding that they might be near a particular bar in Coolock. Mr Baitson said they would not be down to Cobh, adding: “They run a big operation too, so I am not going to hound them.”

 Later on March 10, Mr Baitson texted: “Lad, I want to sort out this shit, I am not continuing on this no more… €185 on Thursday and we are done… I pay this €185 on Thursday, that is the end of it, you can delete my name, we are done, bud.” The accused texted: “It is €2,500, not €25,000. You wanted to do it this way. I was being fair. Who is your cousins and where do they live? Where are you now?” 

The deceased texted: “I owe you €185 from the bill. I am not trying to make any situation. I have no more to do with you or anyone else. So called friend I thought you were. To pull that bullshit makes me sick, lad.” The accused replied: “Listen to me now you cheeky prick. I stopped a fella from cutting your mickey off a couple of months ago and you think you can speak to me like that.” 

The deceased texted back: “Lad, I know you did, I am not speaking shit to you… If my job was to collect for you, no way would I steal from you.” Other texts disputed whether €350 or €310 were paid by the deceased to the accused through a third party.

Two days later there was a voice note from the accused saying: “You scumbag.” The deceased texted: “Be on your own, Thursday, when I give you €185… I will see you Thursday with the last €185.” 

The accused replied: “You will see me sooner than that. Trust me… Have something nice for you.” After a number of texts from Dylan Scannell on March 12, Ian Baitson replied that he was busy and not in Cobh. After further contacts from Dylan Scannell after that, Mr Baitson texted: “Is there something wrong with you, lad? I am busy. Pretty straightforward.” Dylan Scannell replied: “No, bud, just asking where you are – pretty straightforward.” Two days later Mr Scannell texted threatening texts of a sexual nature and said he was going to come to his home.

At 5.14 a.m. on March 15, the deceased texted: “Was that a threat last night, was it?” The accused replied: “Call it whatever the fuck you want, I am going to smash you when I see you… Cheeky c***. Mr Baitson replied: “I am joking, lad. Sense of humour. See you after.” Dylan Scannell texted: “Have that few quid. Who do you think you are? Think you are a hard man? I am going to chop your fingers off, you smart c***.” The two men arranged by text to meet at Eurospar car park. At around 8.30pm, the deceased texted that he was going there. Dylan Scannell texted back: “No, I will tell you when to leave.” 

Ian Baitson texted back, “OK, bud.” About ten minutes later, he texted, “Go now”, and the deceased replied – in what was the last communication of the 314 interactions on WhatsApp – “On my way.” 

A video montage from various CCTV was also shown to the jury, without commentary, of streets in Cobh and of the Eurospar carpark at the relevant time. The trial continues.