Man allegedly stabbed in frenzied attack

Press, 16 September 1986, Page 18

Man allegedly stabbed in frenzied attack

Before going on a drunken binge, two , men purchased knives, one of which was used in a frenzied and unprovoked attack on a young man in Cathedral Square, almost causing his death, Mr Justice Hardie Boys and a jury were told in the High Court yesterday.

A few moments before what the Crown has described as a “murderous attack,” the two men kicked and pummelled a van at the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets, smashing a window.

The driver, who had never seen the men before, drove through a red light to get away from them.

One of the 12 stab wounds inflicted on the young man attacked in the Square severed an artery to the heart and his heart was also penetrated. He woke up in hospital more than a week later.

As a result of his severe injuries he is not now capable of strenuous activity, or playing sport He has lost a lot of time off work, and has still to undergo a repair operation to his heart

Brent William Pool,

aged 28, unemployed, has pleaded not guilty to alternative charges of attempting to murder Alan Leslie O’Brien, or of wounding him with intent to cause. grievous bodily harm.

Robert Thomas Francis Crimp, aged 22, unemployed, has pleaded not guilty to alternative charges of wounding Mr O’Brien with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, or assaulting him with intent to injure. Pool and Crimp pleaded guilty to charges of having offensive weapons, knives, in Cathedral Square. The trial is expected to take about a week.

; Mr David Fitzgibbon appears for Pool, and Mr Erno Bedo for Crimp. Opening the Crown case, Mr Brent Stanaway said that on the morning of February 19 Pool and Crimp purchased two boot knives for $2O each from the sports shop of Cromb and Merritt in Cashel Street They each put a knife into a sheath and had these with them throughout the day. The two spent the next 10 hours or so drinking at various city hotels, and

left the Oxford Hotel about 10.30 p.m. They walked along Colombo Street towards the Square.

At the Gloucester Street intersection they attacked a van driven by Raymond John Daly, a mechanic. They pounded the van with their fists and kicked it A window was smashed.

To escape from the two, Mr Daly had to reverse out of the lane he was in and go through a red light He did not know either of them.

They walked over the crossing towards the Transport Board kiosk, and barged into two young men who were about to use the crossing. They were Mr O’Brien and his friend, Mr Carl Gardner, who were going to catch a bus home after having been to the pictures.

Words were exchanged and Pool made a move towards Mr Gardner, who moved away when he saw Pool with a knife in his hand. Pool chased Mr Gardner for a short distance, and then returned to where Crimp was confronting Mr O’Brien. With the knife drawn, Pool advanced on Mr

O'Brien and then both accused, attacked him.

In a ferocious and sustained attack Pool stabbed Mr O’Brien repeatedly as Crimp held him from behind until their victim slumped to the ground where Crimp punched and kicked him while Pool continued to plunge the knife into him.

Then Crimp pulled Pool away, and the two walked towards the Department of Social Welfare building.

The incident was seen by a number of persons, some of whom went to the aid of Mr O’Brien while several followed the two accused. The police arrived quickly. Pool denied to a constable that he was carrying a knife, and when he agreed to be searched he flung the weapon on to the ground. When Crimp was searched a knife was found in his jeans.

A constable noticed blood on Pool’s boots and on Crimp’s running shoes. Crimp’s knuckles were grazed and there was blood on his hands.

Questioned about the knife, Crimp said that he had purchased it that day as a motor-cycle tool. Asked what had happened

in the Square, he had replied: “I honestly do not know. I was in the Square for a few minutes and then I was arrested."

Interviewed later by a detective, who asked him why he was at the police station, Crimp replied: “I cannot remember being in the Square tonight I wish I could help you, but I can’t”

When questioned about what had happened in the Square, Pool said.-that he had had a few drinks, was walking home when he had a bit of a scrap. He had bought the knife for self-preservation. Asked how he got blood on his shoes, Pool responded: “You tell me. I’m sure you’ll make it up. I’ve got blood on my shoes so I must have walked through a puddle. I’m not going to embellish anything to make you happy.”

"The Crown says that Pool had a murderouss intent when he repeatedly stabbed Mr O’Brien, who suffered deep penetrating wounds,” Mr Stanaway said.

While Crimp did not wield a knife, the Crown alleged that he was guilty of the offence because he

aided and abetted Pool in his attack on. Mr O’Brien, Mr Stanaway said. Dr Mohammed Ahmed Hassan, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, with the North Canterbury Hospital Board, said that he examined Mr O’Brien late on the evening of February 19.

Mr O’Brien was shocked and his blood pressure was low because of a massive blood loss. He had a number of stab wounds.

The extensive injuries suffered by Mr O’Brien were consistent with the use of a knife which had been produced in evidence. The wounds in the lung, heart and coronary artery were potentially fatal.

He had lost almost the amount of blood people had in their bodies. The major artery was cut in half.

Mr O’Brien required massive transfusions of blood. The wounds in the heart, scalp, and lung were the main causes of the bleeding, and the wound in the spleen caused a moderate bleeding.

Immediately the left chest was opened the heart stopped, but was restarted with resuscitation. The heart had ceased to function because of the combination of massive blood loss and severance of a major heart artery, which was the same as a

large heart attack. The injuries to the heart and lung were the result of one wound. To Mr Fitzgibbon, Dr Hassan, said that the wound through ' ttie deft '.hippie was the most life threatening. If you were deliberately trying to kill ,a person with a knife where would you advise a would-be assassin to use the knife? — In my military training, we were advised that the left nipple was the point to go for. Alan Leslie O’Brien, aged 24, a press operator, said that he had returned to work. On February 19 he? met Carl Gardner at Forresters Tavern before going to the Avon Theatre.

They left shortly before the.end, and went to the Dog House in the Square where he purchased a paua pattie, a hamburger and chips.

As they were walking towards the bus stop, he saw two scruffily dressed meh in jeans approaching. He had never seen them before. One of them deliberately bumped into him, and there was an argument It must have been just after 10.30 p.m. He was hit about the head and body with considerable force. There were about seven or eight blows from both men. He fell to the ground but could not remember if he was struck while down.

The two men ran off. - The next thing he remembered was waking up in fallal about a week to 10. days later. He was in hospital for 19 days There were six stitches in the wound in his head, Mr O’Brien displayed the various wounds omhis body to the jury. He was still losing time off work, could not play sport Or do anything energetic. Mr O’Brien identified the blood-stained clothing he was wearing on the evening he was attacked.

To Mr Fitzgibbon, Mr O’Brien said that he had had three or four 12oz beers at the hotel before going to the pictures. He could have sworn at the two men and he could ' have thrown a paua pattie at them.

Carl Hapeta Gardner, aged 22, unemployed, said that after the collision with the two men, one said: “Is there any hassles?” It was the taller one speaking to .witness, who was not looking for a fight

“The taller one pushed ? me and reached down into his pants, and then Peter (O’Brien) threw an empty hamburger packet at one of their heads. Then, one of the men turned around and lunged into him. I was picking $ myself up off the ground 'ffl at this stage,” said Mr Gardner.