LAST UPDATE | 4 Jun

A TATTOO ARTIST who attacked a young chef with a sword, causing partial amputation of his left leg, massive blood loss and his subsequent death in hospital, has been found guilty of murder.

Jurors at the Central Criminal Court in Cork took just over four hours to unanimously convict Dylan Scannell of the murder of 33-year-old father-of-two Ian Baitson, whose loved ones hugged each other and wept when the verdict was returned.

The jury at the week-long trial heard evidence that Scannell (31) struck Baitson from behind the left knee with a sword at the Eurospar car park on Newtown Road in Cobh, Co Cork on the evening of 15 March 2024.

The medical evidence was that such was the ferocity of the attack that the sword cut through muscle, artery and bone. Baitson was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. However, he died four days later.

Scannell will receive a mandatory life sentence at a sentencing hearing in Cork on 11 July.

Justice Eileen Creedon thanked the jury for their diligent service in a “difficult” case. She excused them from jury service for a period of five years.

Victim impact statements will be prepared prior to the sentencing hearing.

The evidence at the trial was that Scannell had previously sent Ian Baitson a text where he threatened to chop off his fingers because of a drug debt which he at one point claimed amounted to €2,500.

Baitson had texted him back insisting that he only owed him a couple of hundred euro. The accused had admitted the manslaughter of Baitson. However, he denied murder.

On the night of the attack Baitson had €185 in his pocket which he planned to give to Scannell. However, the evidence was that he never got the chance to hand over the money.

Instead, Scannell emerged from a car in the car park and attacked him with a sword.

Baitson had told his mother Helen Goggin that he was going to the shop on the evening of 15 March 2024. He said that he would be back to the family home in Newtown in Cobh in about ten minutes.

Twenty minutes later, she heard sirens. She was informed that her son had been attacked and she rushed to his side at Cork University Hospital.

She wept during the trial as she gave evidence that four days later “they had to turn off the machine” at the hospital.

Evidence was also given at the trial by Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster.

She said that a postmortem examination indicated that Baitson had died of haemorrhage and shock complicated by brain damage due to lack of blood supply from an injury caused by sharp force.

What she described as a single blow from a sharp weapon like a samurai sword caused a fracture to the knee bone and sliced through the two bones below the knee — the tibia and fibula.

Scannell, of O’Rahilly Street in Cobh, Co Cork, said that he was “sorry” for what had occurred.

He stated that he had supplied Baitson with drugs and had also loaned him money for a debt he owed to a third party.

He insisted that he was his friend and that he would give anything to turn back the clock.

Scannell said that at the time he was having trouble himself as he owed money to another person.

He said that he was suffering from drug addiction during this period and was “paranoid” when he went to meet Baitson in the car park.

He insisted that he brought the sword to the car park for “protection” and never intended to harm Ian Baitson.

“I just wanted to scare him. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. I didn’t think that by hitting him in the leg I would cause him any damage. I want to say I’m sorry. I would do anything to take it back.”

Following the attack. Scannell drove to an area near the harbour in Cobh and threw the sword in to the water.

Under cross examination Prosecution Senior Counsel, Donal O’Sullivan, put it to Scannell that his remorse was superficial in nature.

“You are sorry. But only for yourself.”

The trial heard that Baitson was a fit and healthy man who ran road races. He had given up alcohol six months prior to his death.

He was employed as a chef and had two children with whom he had a loving relationship.

Mourners at his funeral on 27 March 2024 were told that he was a “lovable rogue.” Fr Tom McDermott said that he was the “happiest he had ever been” in the period before he died having just participated in a charity run. He also also been preparing for a marathon.

His family also expressed gratitude to all those who assisted him when he was attacked in the car park.

His brother Richard said that bystanders, paramedics and hospital staff had by their actions given them four more precious days with him prior to his death.