Distressing 999 call records neighbour trying to get deceased to ‘stay with them’
Abina McSweeney told the court in her evidence on day three of the Kerry murder trial that she spoke to murder accused Fergus O’Connor while he was at a neighbour’s house.
“I asked him what was wrong. Fergus said he stabbed his brother because he came at him with a knife. He was banging on the door when he said that. I was inside my gate,” she said.
She said Fergus O’Connor had his hands in the air and was kind of ‘frantic’ and she asked him where the knife was and he told her ‘he threw it or something’.
“He kind of motioned at me,” she continued.
Several neighbours have given evidence in the trial of Fergus O’Connor who is accused of the murder of his brother Padraig ‘Paudie’ O’Connor, (42), at 32 An Caisleán Mór, Castleisland, on Friday, June 28, 2024.
Abina McSweeney, who gave evidene at the Kerry murder trial in Limerick. Photo by Brendan Gleeson.
Fergus O’Connor (42), who denies the murder charge, is represented by Senior Counsel (SC) Mark Nicholas and BL Caroline O’Connell instructed by Eimear Griffin of Padraig J O’Connell Solicitors, Killarney.
Ms McSweeney said she was outside her house at 37 An Caisleán Mór after being disturbed by screaming on the night in question June 27/June 28, 2024.
“I knew something serious was going on,” she said. She added that she wasn’t sure if she saw Fergus O’Connor at that time.
She said she gathered her clothes to get dressed and then looked out the window again.
At that time she saw Fergus O’Connor running across the street and banging the door.
Ms McSweeney came downstairs to her front door. She said she walked towards the house and could see Paudie O’Connor on the ground covered in blood and he looked like he was in trouble.
She stood outside the gate of the house as she was “a bit afraid to go in”. She said she shouted at Paudie O’Connor to stay awake.
The late Paudie O’Connor
Ms McSweeney said Fergus O’Connor went in to help his brother and pulled him up by the arm and she told him to stop as she knew Paudie O’Connor was “not in a fit state to stand up”.
She told the court that she and Fergus O’Connor were kneeling beside the body and that he was becoming ‘erratic’ and ‘talking to himself’. She said she was not afraid of Fergus O’Connor but of the situation and she sent him to get a duvet.
She said Paudie O’Connor was still alive when she was at the gate and that he was trying to talk.
“I think he died before Samantha [another neighbour] came to the scene,” Ms McSweeney told the jury.
Ms McSweeney had phoned emergency services as she left the house and a lengthy and panicked call from Ms McSweeney was also played to the jury.
The call is cut off three times and during the nine minute clip the dispatcher advises those at the scene to find the wound on Paudie O’Connor’s body but they are unable to do so for some time.
Ms McSweeney told the jury that she did not know who found the wound but that Fergus O’Connor was looking too and pointed out that there was a scratch on his brother’s stomach.
She said a stab wound was found on his chest and she put a towel on it.
Throughout the distressing call, Ms McSweeney repeatedly tells Paudie O’Connor to stay with her.
“Oh my God he is down, he is covered in blood…,” she says.
“Come on stay with me Paudie.”
She tells the dispatcher that she can’t find a pulse.
“He is not waking up for me,” she says in the call, clearly panicked, adding: “I don’t think he is breathing”.
The call continues as she repeatedly shouts at Paudie O’Connor to stay with her and wake up.
Ultimately, a garda arrives at the scene and tells the call centre that Mr O’Connor is not breathing.
They are advised to move and begin compressions and these actions are recorded in the call. Ms McSweeney undertakes these compressions.
During cross-examination, Defence SC Mark Nicholas said Ms McSweeney did a great service to the community on the night in question.
He asked her about Fergus O’Connor on the night in question and she said he was with her and he had shown her a scratch on his brother’s stomach but someone said this was not the wound.
“He wanted his brother to be okay?,” asked Mr Nicholas.
“It appeared like that to me,” said Ms McSweeney.
The trial continues before Judge Melanie Greally.