Murder trial: witness heard 'rapid' blows to Scarlett Faulkner's head at Tipperary roundabout
A witness told the court she saw a woman strike Scarlett Faulkner's head six or more times with a metal bar at Birdhill roundabout. Faulkner died three weeks after the March 2026 assault.
Witness describes metal bar attack on Scarlett Faulkner at Birdhill roundabout
A witness told a murder trial she was left in "total shock" after seeing a woman standing at the roadside with a metal bar, striking Scarlett Faulkner's head six or more times with force, limerickleader.ie reports.
Trudy Doyle gave evidence to prosecution counsel Seoirse Ó Dúnlaing that the car's windows were closed and music was playing, yet she still heard the impact of what she described as "rapid" blows. She said bystanders nearby were watching on their mobile phones, appearing "totally not engaged" and making no attempt to intervene. She described them as "nonchalant", while she and her sister, Claire O'Byrne, were too shocked to speak.
Ms O'Byrne told the court she was driving the car, with Ms Doyle in the passenger seat, as they pulled up to the Birdhill roundabout off the M7 motorway in Tipperary. She said she initially thought she saw an animal on the ground, but then noticed Ms Faulkner's feet, tracksuit bottoms and blonde hair. She saw a female striking "down directly to the head" of Ms Faulkner, who did not move or attempt to defend herself.
Ms O'Byrne also noted two boys, aged approximately 11 or 12, watching from an embankment on the hard shoulder. She said she was "quite shocked" at the level of violence and that those involved had "no regard for who was around or who was watching".
A further witness, Gerard Coonan, said he was driving along the same stretch of road when he noticed a van and a people carrier ahead of him "hopping off one another". The vehicles came to a stop at the Birdhill roundabout. Mr Coonan said he saw a man holding an axe with both hands and "pretending to swipe" at people in an apparent attempt to frighten them away. A short distance ahead, he saw three women who appeared to be "running away from the situation". One of them jumped onto a car that was attempting a u-turn. Mr Coonan said he found a gap and "just got out of the situation as quickly as I could".
Advanced paramedic Frank Malone told the court he attended to Ms Faulkner at the roadside. She was lying on her back with blood on her face and forehead. Dr Shalen Maharaj, a trauma specialist at University Hospital Limerick who happened to be at the scene, informed Mr Malone that Ms Faulkner was breathing but had sustained a significant head injury. The paramedic said he could hear Ms Faulkner moaning but that she did not communicate at any point.
Several people on the scene helped lift Ms Faulkner onto a stretcher and into an ambulance, where Dr Maharaj continued to treat her and administered pain relief. Around ten minutes later, a Coast Guard helicopter arrived and airlifted her to University Hospital Limerick.
Prosecuting barrister Edward O'Mahony BL read Dr Maharaj's statement to the jury. The doctor detailed his efforts to manage Ms Faulkner's traumatic head injury, noting that all injuries were concentrated in a single area — the lower back left side of her head. He concluded that Ms Faulkner was "likely hit while walking away or on the ground".
Ms Faulkner died on 13 April, three weeks after the assault at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, which took place on 21 March 2026.
A 17-year-old girl and a 41-year-old woman are standing trial, accused of her murder. In his opening speech earlier this week, Mr Ó Dúnlaing told the jury that the motive for the attack was that Ms Faulkner had been in a relationship with the older accused's ex-husband.
The 17-year-old has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. The older accused has pleaded not guilty to murder. She has also pleaded not guilty to burglary, entering a building as a trespasser and causing criminal damage at an address in Co Tipperary on 20 March, as well as a further charge of burglary and assault causing harm at an address in Limerick on 21 March.
The trial is continuing before Mr Justice Naidoo and a jury of eight men and four women.
Source: Irish Independent