Man accused of stabbing nephew ‘seen with knife’

A MAN has told a court how he saw a bare-chested man carrying a large knife in the street outside his house in north Belfast after he was woken from his sleep.

The witness was giving evidence yesterday at the trial of Samuel Francis Morrison at Belfast Crown Court.

A jury is to determine the facts and reach a verdict on whether or not Morrison carried out an act which caused the death of his 29-year-old nephew nine years ago.

The 55-year-old, from Forthriver Park in Belfast, was initially charged with murdering George Morrison, who died of multiple stab wounds following an attack in an alleyway in the Antrim Road area of the city.

The incident happened in the early hours of July 6, 2009, at the junction of Brookhill Avenue and Allworthy Avenue.

The witness confirmed that at the time of the fatal stabbing, he lived at Allworthy Avenue, and that in the early hours of July 6 he was woken up by shouting in the street.

When asked what he heard in the street outside, the man told the hearing: “I heard someone say something like, ‘Geordie, you are going to get it. Geordie, you are a paedophile’.

“I didn’t get up at that stage,

Fatally stabbed: George Morrison

but after that I heard glass breaking or smashing. It was then I got up and looked out the window.”

The resident told the court he saw a bare-chested man wearing white tracksuit bottoms, and that he noticed this man meet up with another male further down the street.

He also claimed that the bare-chested man — who the Crown says was Samuel Morrison — was “carrying a knife in his right hand”.

When asked to describe the knife, he responded: “It was a large kitchen knife. It would have been the biggest in the block.”

The north Belfast man said the second man in the street was dressed in a black coat and was carrying a box of Harp lager over his shoulder.

He lost sight of the pair as they made their way towards the Antrim Road.

The witness, who looked at his phone as he was getting back into bed, said the incident occurred around 2.30am.

Also called to give evidence was a police constable who arrested Samuel Morrison at 7.15am.

The officer said that after receiving reports of a stabbing in the Brookhill Avenue area, he was given a description of the suspect — a male “not wearing a top and carrying a knife”.

The policeman said that after speaking to several members of the Morrison family, he attended a flat and arrested Samuel Morrison on suspicion of murdering George Morrison.

The officer said that the accused made no reply after his arrest but later, when in custody, asked police why he had been held.

The policeman said that when Morrison was told why, he replied: “He was given every opportunity to leave the country and he never listened to me. Sex offender. B ****** . Harden him.”

The trial continues.

❝ I heard someone say something like, ‘Geordie, you are going to get it’