Enniskillen murder trial: Court shown footage of 'full-scale street battle'

The footage, which captured the moment John Paul McDonagh sustained a fatal leg wound, was shown to a jury at Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast.

Joseph Joyce has been charged with murdering Mr. McDonagh, who bled to death after he was struck on the leg with a scythe-type weapon.

The violent incident occurred on the evening of Saturday, April 11, 2020 in the Coolcullen Meadow area of Enniskillen.

Joyce (32) from Abercorn Road in Derry can be seen striking the deceased with the weapon - but later claimed he was acting in self-defence and was protecting himself and his family in the face of an attack by the McDonaghs.

Before the CCTV footage was played, prosecuting barrister Barra McGrory QC opened the Crown's case to the jury of six men and six women.

He said that at the time of the street fight, the Joyce family lived at Coolcullen Meadow while the McDonaghs lived at neighbouring Drumawill Gardens.

The barrister said the incident occurred "in the early days of lockdown, on the 11th of April 2020, when the weather was warm and balmy, which was unusual for that that time of year, and when everyone was confined to their homes".

On that day, the McDonagh family were having a barbecue and were listening to music in their garden.

Joyce is accused of walking the short distance from his home to the back of the McDonagh's property where a row broke out.

Mr. McGrory said it was the Crown's case that this row "developed very quickly into a full-scale battle on the street in Coolcullen Meadow".

On the CCTV footage, John Paul McDonagh, his brother Gerard and a youth who can't be named are captured walking up Coolcullen Meadow at around 8pm.

It's the Crown's case that all three males are armed with weapons including a kitchen knife, a hoe and a glass bottle.

As they walk up the street, Joyce is seen standing outside his house armed with what the Crown say was a scythe-type weapon in one hand and a bottle of ammonia in the other.

A street fight then erupts between Joyce and the other three males.

Mr. McGrory revealed "tragically during the course of this battle, which rages in the street for a short period of time", Mr. McDonagh sustained a fatal wound caused by Joyce "using his weapon".

A major artery in Mr McDonagh's lower leg was severed, which resulting in him bleeding to death.

The prosecutor said that in the aftermath of the fatal incident, Joyce was arrested and charged with murder.

In a pre-prepared statement, Joyce made the case he was acting in self-defence and was protecting himself and his family.

However, Mr. McGrory said that while the Crown accepted Joyce knew the McDonaghs were coming from their street onto his, if he was in fear he could have taken steps to protect himself by "locking his doors and calling the police".

The prosecutor told the jury that instead of doing this, Joyce "made a choice" to arm himself with the bladed weapon and bottle filled with ammonia and "chose to engage in a street fight".

Joyce was subsequently charges with five offences arising from the incident. He denied murdering John Paul McDonagh, wounding his brother Gerard McDonagh with intent, possessing two separate weapons in a public place, and fighting and making an affray.

Gerard Christopher McDonagh - a brother of the deceased - has also been charged with, and denies, offences linked to the same incident.

The 26-year old, from Lisnafin Park in Strabane, is standing trial on four charges - namely attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Joseph Joyce on April 11, 2020, possessing both a knife and spade on the same date and affray.

A third co-accused, who can't be named as he is a youth, is being tried on four counts.

The teenager had denied charges of affray, possessing a knife, attempting to wound Joseph Joyce, and encouraging or assisting attempted GBH on Joyce by handing a spade to Gerard McDonagh for use as a weapon.

At hearing.