I saw Charlie crumple in screwdriver attack
Wife tells murder trial of assault on husband in Oz
Charlie Mccarthy with wife and kids THE wife of a tragic Irishman has told an Australian court she saw him “crumple” after allegedly being attacked by a screwdriver-wielding man.
Charlie Mccarthy, 32, originally from Cork, died in Perth after a row with fisherman Andrew Doan on December 23, 2017.
He died in hospital from a brain injury the following day.
Doan, who is now standing trial for murder, claims he acted in selfdefence.
Mr Mccarthy was leaving a Christmas party at the Swan River
Yacht Club in East
Fremantle with his wife Nicole and a colleague when they crossed paths with Doan, who was fishing in the area.
Words were exchanged and Mr Doan, who is Asian, began following the group after he heard a remark which he perceived as racist.
Yesterday, Mrs Mccarthy told the District Court in Perth: “He got up to us really fast. He seemed intent on getting to us as quickly as possible. It was so confusing. I didn’t know why he was so angry.”
Mrs Mccarthy attempted to break up the fight and urged her husband to think of their two kids. She added: “Then I just saw him go down. His legs were buckling under him. He crumpled. I thought he’d been punched. Charlie’s head rolled to the side and I saw a puncture mark above his ear.
“That was when I realised he’d been stabbed by something.”
Doan claimed through his lawyer Michael Perella the alleged stabbing had happened accidentally while he had raised his hand, which was holding the tool, to protect his face.
Mr Perella said: “In a freak and tragic accident, the deceased man impaled the left side of his head into that screwdriver.”
The trial is set to last six days.