A 32 year old man has gone on trial in Cork charged with assault causing serious harm to two of his brothers, and with producing a knife in the course of an alleged ‘family dispute’ about property.

BY OLIVIA KELLEHER

William Brennan of Longbridge, Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, denies causing serious harm to his brothers John and Jerry Jnr following an alleged incident at a property in Ballyhalwick, Dunmanway, on August 19th, 2024.

He has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of producing a knife on the same occasion.

Prosecuting barrister Imelda Kelly gave the jury an outline of the anticipated evidence in in the case at a sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Wednesday.

She emphasised that this was ‘a brief roadmap’ and not evidence in itself.

Ms Kelly said that the jury of eight men and four women would hear medical evidence that John Brennan suffered a puncture wound to his chest.

She said that there was also ‘blood and air outside his lung’.

 She told the court that his brother Jerry Brennan Jnr also sustained an injury with the main artery to his left arm being damaged.

Ms Kelly said that the property in Ballyhalwick was in the ownership of Jerry Brennan Snr who a number of years earlier had signed it over to the three brothers.

‘The yard was in common ownership between the brothers,’ she added.

Ms Kelly said that gardaí were called to the property on August 17th, 2024 having been told that an ‘alleged stabbing’ had occurred onsite.

The prosecuting barrister said that it was alleged that in the course of an incident William Brennan produced a knife and that he ‘caused the injury’ to his two brothers.

Ms Kelly said that the men were initially taken by a ‘Good Samaritan’ to Dunmanway Community Hosptial where they were seen by a doctor.

A decision was taken to transport John to CUH by helicopter whilst Jerry Jnr made the journey by road.

The case will continue on Friday.