Man bit off part of brother’s finger at party, court told

A man who claimed his brother bit off part of his finger at a party celebrating his wedding has denied under cross-examination that he attacked the accused first.

Chukwuma Georgewill-Manjor, a medical devices salesman, with an address at Curragh Birin, Castletroy, Limerick, told the city’s Circuit Criminal Court that his brother, Uche Georgewill-Manjor, headbutted him and bit off the top of his right index finger.

Uche Georgewill-Manjor, 42, of Garranmmore, Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, has denied one charge of intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his younger brother Chukwuma.

He has also pleaded not guilty to one count of assault causing harm.

The two offences are alleged to have occurred outside Chukwuma’s home in Castletroy on 30 June 2019.

Two days earlier, he married Jessica O’Connell, a native of Bridgetown, Co Clare, at the Armada Hotel in Spanish Point.

Chukwuma and Uche, natives of Nigeria, had married sisters Jessica and Sinead O’Connell.

However, Uche and his then wife Sinead – who have since separated – were not invited to Chukwuma and Jessica’s wedding, due to a family rift.

Uche and Sinead were also not asked to attend an African-themed party that was held for Chukwuma and Jessica at Thomond Park the day after their wedding, nor were they invited to the newlywed’s home for a post-wedding party on 30 June, the night of the alleged offences.

Chukwuma told the trial that he embraced Uche after he appeared outside Thomond Park during the African-themed ceremony and told him that if he wanted to heal their family’s rift he needed to talk to one of their other siblings.

Chukwuma said Uche arrived outside his house the following day as he and his wife Jessica hosted a small post-wedding gathering and he and Uche became involved in a verbal argument.

“He (Uche) headbutted me and I headbutted him back,” he said.

The witness said the accused then bit off the tip of his right index finger as they both fought with one another on the street outside his home.

“I tried to pull it (the finger) back. He (Uche) wasn’t releasing it, no matter how much I tried to hit him.

“My right finger was in his mouth. I tried to move my hand and I couldn’t. I hit him a couple of times to try to get my hand free.”

Chukwuma said that it was only after he broke free that he realised his finger had been severed.

His wife Jessica “ushered” him back into their home, he said, but he was “filled with rage” and went back out and struck the accused before being pulled away from him.

Under cross-examination by Uche’s barrister, Senior Counsel Brian McInerney, Chukwuma acknowledged he had subsequently been convicted in March 2023 of assaulting a man causing him harm in a pub in Limerick city in July 2019.

However, Chukwuma denied a suggestion by the barrister that he was “a violent man”.

Mr McInerney put it to him that he had been the “aggressor” and had initially attacked Uche who was “trying to defend himself”.

“That is incorrect,” Chukwuma replied.

Jessica O’Connell gave evidence that, on the night, she asked a friend of her and her husband to bring Uche to their house to try to bring an end to the siblings rift.

She said she had tried to find a resolution for the sake of the children of all parties.

Ms O’Connell claimed in her evidence that Uche was the aggressor and had attacked her husband.

“Uche lunged forward and headbutted Chukwuma into his face, and Chukwuma headbutted him back,” she said.

She said she left the men fighting and ran into her house looking for others to help.

Ms O’Connell said she called for an ambulance for her husband but she claimed that, when it arrived, paramedics told her they could not assist her husband as he had been assaulted, it was a crime scene and they drove away.

She said that a friend drove her and her husband to the Emergency Department at University Hospital Limerick where the severed part of his finger could not be reattached.

The trial continues tomorrow.