A woman whose husband is on trial for her murder was not wearing her wedding ring a week before her death a witness has told a jury in the Central Criminal Court.
Brian Kearney (50), with an address at Carnroe, Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Siobhan Kearney (38), on February 28th, 2006 - his 49th birthday.
Carol Summers told prosecuting counsel Denis Vaughan Buckley that she had been friends with Siobhan for about 20 years.
Ms Summers said she was living in Scotland in 2006 but had been home for a visit and had met up with Siobhan on February 21st at Peploe's wine bar on Stephen's Green.
"She was in great form but she was missing her wedding rings."
Ms Summers said she assumed that Ms Kearney had just left the rings off. She said she was aware that Siobhan was having marital difficulties and rang her on February 27th, the day before her death to see how she was.
The jury also heard evidence from family friend, Sergeant Charlie McConalogue who told Mr Vaughan Buckley he received a phone call from Ms Kearney's sister, Brighid McLaughlin, telling him what had happened.
He arrived at Siobhan's house at around 12 o'clock and told the gardaí at the scene who he was.
He went upstairs and formally identified the body then went downstairs to the kitchen where the McLaughlin family had gathered.
He said he then went into the front room where Brian Kearney was sitting in a chair having his head and neck massaged by his sister and he appeared to be hyperventilating.
"He was going back and forward in a rocking motion and he was saying 'Oh my God, Oh my God."
Sgt McConalogue told Mr Vaughan Buckley that he told Mr Kearney that the gardai wanted to speak to him upstairs.
"He got out of the chair and he said to me 'Charlie, Charlie, will I be fit to go through with it and I said the detectives only want to speak to you."
He said that some time later, Brian Kearney came up to him. "He says Charlie can I go now? I replied back to him I think nobody can leave this house, including me."
"He came back then with a question for me and he said Charlie, will the detectives want my clothes?"
Sgt McConalogue said he was taken aback by this and told the gardai at the scene.
He said he did not know if there was a bedroom downstairs where Mr Kearney could have changed his clothes or whether he would have had to change in the bedroom where his wife's body lay. The trial continues tomorrow morning before Mr Justice White and the jury of eight women and four men.