Courts

Accused who twice stabbed partner said he never intended to hurt her

Cristal O’Brien told the court her ex-partner threatened to stab her ‘to pieces’ and broke two knives in attack

Dublin man Philip Cox (39) pleaded not guilty to attempted murder in a trial being heard at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Alison O'Riordan
Wed Mar 6 2024 - 18:34

An attempted murder accused who twice stabbed his partner of 18 years after chasing her with three different knives told gardaí that he never had any intention of hurting her, a trial has heard.

The defendant said he had “no idea” why he stabbed the alleged victim twice in the leg and that the incident was “still all a blur” to him.

Cristal O’Brien has told the court how her ex-partner threatened to stab her “to pieces” and broke two knives in attacking her before going to retrieve a third, in what she described as a “terrifying” attack. Her neighbour Alice McGrath gave evidence that the accused man said he was going to kill his former partner and that he didn’t care “if he did time”.

The Central Criminal Court trial was briefly interrupted on Tuesday when the accused man, Philip Cox, was heard calling Ms O’Brien “a lying c***” while she was giving evidence to the jury.

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Cox (39), who is originally from Tallaght in Dublin but has an address at York Street Flats in Dublin 2, has pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder of his former partner, Cristal O’Brien, at the flat complex on December 1st, 2022.

Giving evidence today, Det Gda Chris Fitzgerald told prosecution counsel, Tim O’Leary SC, that gardaí had approached Mr Cox at the scene and that both the accused and Ms O’Brien received medical attention before being brought to hospital in separate ambulances.

Det Gda Fitzgerald said Mr Cox had a cut to the top of his hand, which he received after breaking into Ms McGrath’s flat at York Street and smashing the window on the door. He said Ms O’Brien had been stabbed twice in the leg.

Mr Cox was arrested for the offence of production of an article in the course of a dispute when he was discharged from the Mater hospital.

At the outset of the first interview on December 1st, Mr Cox told gardaí that he had a few drinks in a local pub on the night and returned to the flat at York Street where he had a drink with Ms O’Brien.

The accused said the next thing he remembered was them getting into an argument, Ms O’Brien at their front door and the gardaí coming into the flat.

The defendant said he and Ms O’Brien had broken up five months previously, having been together for 18½ years.

Asked why they broke up, Mr Cox said Ms O’Brien told him that she didn’t love him any more. He said some of their arguments could be “heated but some could be not”. He said he thought things were “grand” with Ms O’Brien and that the break up had come as “a shock” to him.

He said he hadn’t noticed that his hand was “pumping” with blood until he got into the garda van. “I feel like sh*te, I don’t even know why I stabbed Cristal or anything, I’m not feeling good at all,” he continued.

When gardaí put part of Ms O’Brien’s statement to him and asked whether she was telling the truth, the accused replied: “I think so yeah, no idea what happened, that stuff, f*** me”.

Asked whether he disputed stabbing his ex-partner, the accused said “no”. He was also asked if he knew why he had stabbed Ms O’Brien and he replied that he had “no idea”.

“Were you trying to kill her?” asked the gardaí. “I don’t know, I don’t remember, I never had any intent of hurting Cristal ever,” replied Mr Cox. He accepted that he had produced a knife.

Under cross-examination, Det Gda Fitzgerald agreed with Eoghan Cole SC, defending, that the accused was charged with certain offences when his detention came to an end but that he was not charged with the attempted murder of his ex-partner until May 2nd, 2023. The garda said Mr Cox had no previous convictions.

In his opening address, Mr O’Leary told the jury that they were only deciding on one count of attempted murder but that Mr Cox had already pleaded guilty to assault causing harm, aggravated burglary and to the production of a knife during the course of a dispute at the same date and location. The trial continues on Thursday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of seven men and five women, when it is expected that closing speeches will take place.

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