Courts / Cork / Report

Teen threatened to 'shank' friend of witness, trial hears

Date
2021-06-02

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Cork City

County
Cork

Summary

The Central Criminal Court trial of a 16-year-old accused, who was 14 at the time of the incident, continues before Mr Justice David Keane and a jury. The accused, who cannot be named due to his age, has pleaded not guilty to producing a knife at a house on Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16, 2020. He is alleged to have produced an article capable of inflicting serious injury in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person. Last week, the accused pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder with two other persons present, using or threatening unlawful violence that would cause a person of reasonable firmness to fear for their safety. The trial concerns the murder of 20-year-old Cameron Blair, a chemical engineering student at Cork Institute of Technology, who died at Cork University Hospital after being stabbed in the neck at a student party. Another juvenile has already pleaded guilty to Blair's murder. Witness Marcel Szulhan testified that the accused, the youngest of three boys, threatened to "shank" a party-goer while looking for a phone charger. Szulhan stated he saw a knife being raised and heard someone scream that "they all have knives." He described Blair turning around, holding his neck, and saying he did not want to fight. The trial continues tomorrow.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Teen threatened to 'shank' friend of witness, trial hears. Charges or matters: the production of a knife at a house on Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16, 2020; producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person; committing violent disorder with two other persons present together, using or threatening to use unlawful violence, and such conduct taken together would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at Bandon Road in Cork city to fear for his or another person's safety at the said place on the same occasion. Procedural stage: trial

When:

January 16, 2020 Incident
2021-06-02 Publication

Why: The accused, who was 14 at the time of the incident and cannot be named because he is a minor, has pleaded not guilty to producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person. CNI source report

Case subjects

Marcel Szulhan

Accused

Charges: the production of a knife at a house on Bandon Road in Cork city on January 16, 2020; producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury in the course of a dispute, to wit a knife, in a manner likely to unlawfully intimidate another person; committing violent disorder with two other persons present together, using or threatening to use unlawful violence, and such conduct taken together would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at Bandon Road in Cork city to fear for his or another person's safety at the said place on the same occasion (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty