Murder accused previously threatened to slit throat of 'kind' man who had taken him in, trial hears

High Court Reporter

A “kind” 65-year-old man was “terrified” of a teenager he had taken into his home who demanded money from him, twice threatened to kill him and said he would “slit his throat”, witnesses have told a Central Criminal Court jury.

The jury heard that on one occasion, Peter Kennedy said he woke to find the accused, Brian Ibe, standing over him “threatening to stab him”.

Mr Ibe, of no fixed abode and formerly of Moore Park, Newbridge, Co Kildare, has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to the murder of Mr Kennedy between April 28th and May 12th, 2020, both dates inclusive, in Newbridge.

He also pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to assault causing harm to Garda Brendan O’Donnell at Newbridge Garda Station on or about April 29th, 2020.

Giving evidence to prosecution counsel Paul Carroll SC via videolink on Friday, Rita Swords said she had been friends with Mr Kennedy for over 30 years and described him as a “good guy” and a “lovely man”.
She said when she started college aged 18, Mr Kennedy would come to her house at 6.30am every morning to give her a lift.

Ms Swords said in the months before his death, she became aware that Martha and her son Brian Ibe had moved in with Mr Kennedy.

She said he told her that Ms Ibe was homeless and had been living in her car outside his house.

She suggested to Mr Kennedy that he get help through the proper channels but that he shouldn’t get involved himself. She said she felt Martha and Brian Ibe were “taking advantage of his good nature”.

In the run up to Christmas 2019, Ms Swords said she invited Mr Kennedy over for tea and a chat and when he arrived, he was “dishevelled” and “unkempt” where normally he would be “smart”.

Ms Swords said she made her friend some food because he was hungry. “He was just a broken man, he just wasn’t himself,” she said.
The witness said while Mr Kennedy was sitting with her, Brian Ibe called his phone and demanded the deceased go and get him a McDonalds. She said Mr Kennedy was “panicking” and was “terrified” when this happened.

“I said Peter you’ve got to get help, you’ve got to get him out because this chap was dangerous; he was afraid of him,” said the witness.

Ms Swords said on another occasion, she spoke to Mr Kennedy who told her that Brian Ibe had “threatened” him.

Asked by Mr Carroll what the nature of this threat was, Ms Swords replied: “Money, it was always money.”

“He came into his room, and he wanted €20 euro off Peter and Peter wouldn’t give it,” she said, adding that when the deceased refused to hand over the money, Mr Ibe “got aggressive with him”.

Ms Swords said Mr Kennedy had told her he had heard the accused walking around his bedroom “talking to himself” and “pacing”. She said she was concerned that Mr Ibe had “mental health difficulties” and told her friend to check his room for medication.

She said Mr Kennedy subsequently told her he had gone to the guards to get Mr Ibe out and was changing the locks on his house.
Under cross-examination, Ms Swords was asked by Conor Devally SC, defending, if she remembered anything about Brian Ibe “coming and going” to Mr Kennedy’s house.

“I just remember when he was there, he made Peter’s life hell,” she said.

Linda Mannion told prosecution counsel David Humphries BL, that she first met Mr Kennedy in 1990 when she first moved to Newbridge and was looking for somewhere to live. She said he would often drive her home to Athy to see her parents and when she got her first car he went guarantor on the loan.

“You felt very safe in Peter’s presence,” she said, going on to describe Mr Kennedy as “kind” and “extremely intelligent”.
He was always concerned with helping you out, helping you to better yourself,” she said.

Ms Mannion said around December 2019, Mr Kennedy told her about instances where Mr Ibe would come into e deceased’s bedroom and shout at him for money.

“He would just burst into his room when Peter was in his bed asleep,” she said. “He would be woken up by Brian shouting demanding money off him and Peter would say ‘I can’t get it for you now, I’m sleeping but I’ll get it for you in the morning’ and Brian would demand that he get up right then and get him whatever was required,” said the witness.

She said it seemed to her that this happened more than once.

Damian Molyneaux gave evidence to Mr Humphries that Mr Kennedy was his best friend. He said the deceased had told him he was afraid of Brian and that Brian said he would kill him.

“He threatened to kill him on two occasions, he said he would slit his throat,” said Mr Molyneaux, adding Mr Kennedy also told him the accused had said he would “burn him out”.

He said his friend told him he was frightened in his own home and wanted his house back.

Evidence was also heard today from Chris Pender, a County Councillor in Newbridge, who told Mr Carroll he had helped to find emergency accommodation for the accused man.

He said the catalyst for Mr Kennedy wanting the accused out of the house was one “especially aggressive incident” in which Mr Kennedy said he woke to find Brian Ibe “standing over him threatening to stab him”.

The trial continues next Tuesday before Ms Justice Melanie Greally and the jury of six men and six women.