A NEWRY man has denied stabbing his own brother multiple times.
While Barry McAleavey (27) entered a not guilty plea to wounding Mark McAleavey with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on January 3 this year, Newry Crown Court heard "there’s no injured party as he has made a withdrawal statement".
Previous courts have heard claims the complainant was left with blood "squirting" from stab wounds allegedly inflicted by his brother in an "unprovoked assault".
The court also heard that having sustained five stab wounds to his face, shoulder, chest and arm, Mark McAleavey’s lung collapsed while he was in hospital and a police officer said the wounds “could easily have proved fatal".
Detective Constable Morrison had told the court during an earlier contested bail application how the defendant had asked his brother to come over to his house to keep him company "because he was having problems with his partner".
The brothers were standing in the kitchen when according to the victim, Barry McAleavey reached into a drawer and without warning, lifted out a large knife and stabbed him several times.
"The injured party ran to the door and ran down the street shouting and that alerted neighbours who came to his assistance," said the police officers adding that Barry McAleavey "discarded the knife in a back garden" but it was discovered and sent for tests.
Despite the withdrawal, prosecuting counsel Geraldine McCullough said there were 18 witnesses to testify in the trial which would take "three or four days" to hear as "there may be a few legal issues".
Following the denials defence counsel Kevin Magill said there was an agreed bail variation to remove McAleavey’s curfew
McAleavey, from Mourne View Park in Newry, was freed on continuing bail until his trial which Judge Gordon Kerr KC listed for hearing on February 22.
