Man speaks of 'horror film' attack when younger brother stabbed him and his brother

Olivia Kelleher

One of two men allegedly stabbed by their younger brother has claimed that he witnessed a scene “out of a horror film” and feared that his sibling would die as blood was “firing” out of his arm.

John Brennan told a trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court that he made a makeshift tourniquet out of a belt in the hope that it would halt the blood flowing from the left arm of his brother Jerry Brennan Jnr after he was allegedly stabbed by their brother William.

William Brennan (32) of Longbridge, Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, Co Cork denies causing serious harm to his brothers John and Jerry Brennan Jnr at a property in Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, Co Cork on August 17th, 2024. He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of producing a knife on the same occasion.

The court previously heard that the property in Ballyhalwick had been in the ownership of Jerry Brennan Snr. It was signed over to the three brothers a number of years before the alleged stabbing incident. The yard was in common ownership between the brothers.

John Brennan said he and Jerry Brennan Jnr arrived at the property between 5pm and 6pm on August 17th, 2024 and had been doing some tidying onsite. He noted that six or seven CCTV cameras, which were positioned on the property had been taken down.

John said that he and Jerry Jnr had a habit of locking the gate when they were inside, as a judge had directed that the siblings should not be in the property at the same time as their younger brother William.

He said he was working on a vintage tractor he owned in a shipping container when he heard a “commotion” outside. He came out and noticed that his brother William had a little grinder in his hand and was trying to cut the padlock. He went back to the container.

John said that about 10 minutes later he heard the gate opening and William walked passed the container.

“I assumed he (William) had cut the lock. Seconds later he was shouting. He seemed angry and upset. I went out of the container. I saw Willy and Jerry (Jnr) standing together.

"They were just standing side by side motionless. I could see Jerry (Jnr) 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.’

"It just happened so fast. I took a step back. I was in disbelief. I stumbled backward. He (William) had made some attempt with the knife. I picked up a stick from the ground and tried to prevent him from doing anything to me. I definitely hit him once, but it could have been twice. I didn’t know at this stage he (William) had stabbed me. I was in shock.”

John said that when William “paused” he took the opportunity to grab his brother Jerry Jnr by the arm. He claimed that they “ran for their lives” out of the place. He said that his father Jerry Snr was at the entrance to the property.

John said that he asked his father to give him the keys to his car so he could drive Jerry Jnr to the hospital.

“I thought he (Jerry Jnr) was going to die. There was blood everywhere. He (Jerry Snr) said that wasn’t giving any keys.”

The jury were told that a man called Tim Connolly was passing in a van and stopped to offer assistance. John said that he helped Jerry Jnr to the van and applied a makeshift tourniquet with a belt in a bid to stop the blood flowing from his left arm.

“He was complaining it (his arm) was hurt but I said it (the tourniquet) ‘might help save you Jerry.’ I noticed I was getting weak. Jerry (Jnr) pointed to my overalls and said ‘you are after getting stabbed. I had been stabbed and it had penetrated the overalls.”

Under cross-examination by defence barrister Jane Hyland, SC, John Brennan denied having anything to do with the burning out of an excavator owned by William Brennan earlier on the day of the alleged stabbing offence.

He also denied that he and his brother Jerry Jnr had passed their father Jerry Snr on the same day holding their lighters aloft.

John refuted suggestions made by the defence that he had anger issues. He said that he had worked for 13 years as a marine engineer on a superyacht and had been Garda vetted in order to be employed on such a “prestigious vessel”. He insisted that anger was not something that would be tolerated in his workplace.

He also denied suggestions put to him by Hyland that his brother Jerry Jnr had used William as a “punching bag” over the years.

Alleged incidents put to John Brennan by Hyland included Jerry Jnr “giving William a dent in the head.” Hyland also spoke of another occasion when Jerry Jnr allegedly threw his younger brother from a roof.

Hyland put it to John Brennan that he was “bound to the peace” at the time of the alleged stabbing. He agreed that that was the case.

He said that he was convicted of assault arising out of an incident, but insisted that he had been acting in self-defence. John claimed that he had punched his father in a bid to defend himself after he tried to cut his fingers off.

John Brennan also refuted suggestions put to him by the defence barrister that his father Jerry Snr had gone to their assistance on the day of the alleged stabbing incident. He insisted that his father hadn’t called 999 to seek medical help.

Hyland also put it to John Brennan that he had “made up a story” about his father in relation to the day of the alleged stabbing incident.

He also denied a suggestion put to him by Hyland that he and Jerry had attacked William on the date of the alleged offence. Hyland said that her client had acted in self-defence by producing a knife. The case continues on Wednesday in front of a jury of eight men and four women.