Date Published: 28-Mar-2011

A young Claregalway man died from multiple stab wounds – including a fatal one to the heart – in an unprovoked attack during the Volvo Ocean Race, an inquest into his death heard on Friday.

Coroner for West Galway, Dr Kieran MacLoughlin, told the family of the late Kieran Cunningham of Slievefinn, Claregalway, that at the time of his death in June 2009 the city was full of life and joy, and enjoying the fine weather, and he said that the tragic death of the 20 years old man had touched everybody.

The enquiry heard from Polish national, Jolanta Maria Zlotnik, who was in the company of Alexander Nadwodny, the convicted murderer, in the early hours of June 3, 2009.

In her deposition she stated that she had met him only twice through a Polish friend and housemate of Nadwodny’s. She said that she was at their house in Renmore the previous afternoon, where they all began drinking, and she and Nadwodny subsequently headed into the city centre at about 10pm.

They had gone to the Kings Head for one drink, and then on to Karma night club, Ball Alley Lane. She said that he was drunk as they headed to the club, and that she had steadied him by holding his hands as he passed the doormen.

She said that they kept to themselves while inside, and left when the music stopped. They were sitting on the windowsill of Logue’s shoe shop when she said a man, later identified as Mr Cunningham, told them to “f**k off” and stuck out his tongue at them – his friends disputed that he had spoken to anyone – and then crossed the road.

“He looked like he’d had too much drink … then I saw Alex running towards the guy, he was outside Hanley’s,” she stated.

“I followed Alex and grabbed him as I was convinced nothing had happened until he started to run … he had been using his hands as if he was pushing (Mr Cunningham).

“Alex said that he’d hit him three or four times; I asked if there was a fatal injury, he said he didn’t know. I panicked, Alex told me to run.”

They ran hand in hand from Williamsgate Street, up Eglinton Street, and along Mary Street where they stopped. Ms Zlotnik said that it was not until this point that she saw blood on her own and Nadwodny’s hands. They continued on to Newtownsmith, and then along the river to Bridge Street, where they got a taxi to her house in Rahoon.

“We could hear the sirens … he gave me a hug and said not to turn around,” she said.

She said that she took him back to her house in Rahoon as she was afraid he would hurt someone else if he left her side. She slept beside him on the couch and the next morning as he was getting dressed she noticed a knife falling out of his pocket – there was blood on the blade – he told her not to ask about it.

They then got a bus into the city centre and got off in Eyre Square, where they saw the Garda activity around the spot where Mr Cunningham had been attacked.

“We panicked, I asked what had he done, he kept apologising; then I saw the tent where the attack had happened and I realised he (Mr Cunningham) was dead; I knew I’d witnessed a brutal murder.”

For more. read this week’s Connacht Sentinel.