Woman 'was peacemaker' in fight before Tom Kirwan death
A woman told a court she was acting as a peacemaker during a fight which took place just minutes before a reveller was stabbed to death.
Shannon Samuels took to the witness stand at Wolverhampton Crown Court and said she had got in between two men who were fighting before Tom Kirwan was fatally stabbed.
She told the jury she had tried to get the two groups of friends to go in different directions after fighting broke out when Tom Kirwan's brother, Brooklen, was thrown out of Uberra nightclub in in the early hours of July 8, 2012.
Samuels, of Overton Walk, Merry Hill, is currently on trial for affray alongside Brooklen Kirwan and two others who were allegedly involved in the sporadic fighting which took place before Tom Kirwan was stabbed.
The 20-year-old talked through CCTV shown in court which showed Brooklen Kirwan being thrown out of the club and stumbling into her.
She said: "The person that got thrown out accidentally stumbled into me twice so I put my arms up to stop him.
"He turned around to see what was happening but his friends apologised for him and said he was drunk. It was fine."
She told the court that her friend, Edward Clayton, had been arguing with Brooklen Kirwan.
She added: "I got in between Edward and the person who had been thrown out, I wanted to calm Edward down, so I got in the middle.
"When he was thrown out of the club, Edward was quite smiley. I don't know if Edward said something but there seemed to be something between them, but I don't know what was said.
"At that point, his friends walked him off and I said to Edward to leave it because he was drunk, but Edward decided to go along anyway."
The CCTV shows a fight break out shortly after where a man can be seen to be knocked out.
Samuels is seen leaning over railings to the man, but denied saying "I hope he dies."
She told the court she didn't see any knives during the fracas, and did not get involved in any of the fights.
Nathan Hanson, 20, of Enville Road, Warstones, Keiran Stubbs, also 20, of Brantley Avenue, Finchfield, Brooklen Kirwan, 21, of Draly Drive, Dunstall Hill, and Samuels all deny affray.
The prosecution has told the court the fatal stabbing had nothing to do with the defendants.
The trial continues.
