Tom Kirwan trial: Fatal fight outside Wolverhampton club was 'madness'
A reveller was involved in a fight at a city centre nightclub shortly before being fatally stabbed outside amid scenes of 'madness', a jury was told.
Tom Kirwan was fatally injured near the Uberra Club, now the Canal Club, alongside the Ring Road in the centre of Wolverhampton in the early hours of July 8, 2012, the city's Crown Court was told.
The fracas erupted after the handbag of Amie Law was knocked over inside the club just minutes before tragedy struck, it was said.
She explained to the jury: "I was talking to a boy called Greg when Declan Gibson came over and accidentally knocked my bag out of my hand.
I was picking up things from my bag when I saw Tom Kirwan come over and they started arguing. Out of nowhere they started fighting."
Three bouncers then ejected Tom's 21-year-old brother Brooklen from the club, the court heard.
Miss Law left the club soon afterwards. Another witness Amy Cox told the court:"People were getting hit and instantly dropping. It was just madness."
Mr David Bennett, prosecuting, had earlier alleged that Brooklen Kirwan was seen throwing at least one punch, getting somebody in a headlock and pushing a person into a taxi during the unrest.
Shannon Samuels, Kieran Stubbs and Nathan Hanson – all aged 20 and each supposedly part of the group trying to get into the club – were also said to have been involved in the fracas.
Mr Bennett told the jury: "At the end of this incident Thomas Kirwan was stabbed at the scene. This had nothing to do with either of these three people or his brother. It happened at the tail end of this incident and sadly he died from the injury he received as part of the stabbing."
Brooklen Kirwan accepted being involved but told police he had only used lawful violence to protect himself. When later questioned by police Stubbs denied being present, Hanson could not remember whether he was there or not and Shannon declined to comment, the court was told.
Brooklen Kirwan from Darley Drive, Dunstall Hill, Hanson of Enville Road, Warstones, Stubbs from Brantley Avenue, Finchfield and Samuels of Overton Walk, Merry Hill, all deny affray.
The trial continues.
