Grave digger tells murder trial jury he did not stab partner to death

A grave digger accused of murdering his partner has taken the stand at his own trial, telling the jury that while their relationship was “toxic”, he did not stab her to death and had done “everything to save her”.

However, when questioned about a witness noticing bruises on mother-of-two Amadea McDermott’s body prior to her death, murder accused Martin Hayes told prosecution counsel that he “threw her” into a sofa after “she wouldn’t let” him go to work.

“If someone is hitting me I’ll hit them back; I’ve every right to,” Mr Hayes later said.

Mr Hayes also denied that he later confessed to a subsequent girlfriend that he had stabbed Ms McDermott, telling the Central Criminal Court that Niamh Higgins was lying and that she hated him.

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Mr Hayes (34), with an address at Poddle Close, Crumlin, Dublin 12 has pleaded not guilty to murdering Amadea McDermott (27) at her home in Rathvale Drive, Ayrfield, Coolock on or about July 20th, 2017.

The Central Criminal Court trial has heard that the accused told emergency services who arrived at her home that the mother-of-two had self-harmed by stabbing herself.

[ Woman had ‘black eye’ week before she died from stab wounds, murder trial told ]

A garda witness has also told the jury that the deceased’s sister, Eucharia McDermott, alleged that Mr Hayes had been physically abusive to the victim in the past.

Taking the stand on Thursday afternoon, Mr Hayes told his defence counsel Ronan Munro SC that he was in a 10-year relationship with Ms McDermott, that they met on social networking site Bebo and they had two children together. “She was a brilliant mother and would do everything for her kids,” he said.

The accused added: “Looking back it was a toxic relationship, when drink and drugs were involved that’s when it started to go sour”.

He said the pair drank vodka together in their house a few times a week and if they were drinking “there would be drugs as well”. He said they took cocaine and the “odd bit of cannabis”.

When it was put to him by his counsel that “toxic” was a “kind of buzz word”, Mr Hayes responded: “I didn’t trust her and she didn’t trust me”.

Asked by Mr Munro why that was, the accused said that when Ms McDermott was pregnant with their first child she had a relationship with his “best mate”. He said when he found out, they ended their relationship but got back together when she had their daughter.

[ Murder accused claimed to have found evidence partner was in incestuous relationship, jury hears ]

He said that she also didn’t trust him. “We used the same password for all our social media, she used to accuse me of not being at work. To this day I still use the same password and I have access to her Instagram,” he continued.

He admitted to having a tracker on her phone so he could check her text messages.

Asked by his barrister whether “that was a bit weird”, the accused said: “No, I just didn’t trust her”.

The trial has heard that Mr Hayes’ mobile phone was using a hidden app on Ms McDermott’s mobile to access her contacts, callers, messages and social media.

He agreed that Ms McDermott would become agitated on occasion when she consumed alcohol. “Mostly verbal, insults and all,” he said.

Mr Munro told his client that the prosecution had suggested he had stabbed Ms McDermott that night. The accused said he did not stab his partner and had done everything to save her.

He denied confessing to Niamh Higgins, who he had a relationship with for a short period of time, that he had stabbed Ms Ms McDermott.

Mr Hayes described his relationship with Ms Higgins to the jury as “just toxic as well”.

[ ‘Abusive’ murder accused told new girlfriend he had ‘helped’ ex put knife through her stomach, witness tells trial ]

Mr Hayes said that when he and Ms Higgins were talking about their past relationships, he had told her about his relationship with Ms McDermott and how she had killed herself.

“You had a conversation [with Ms Higgins], did it conclude with you telling her that you stabbed Amadea?” asked counsel.

“Ah no,” replied the accused.

He said Ms McDermott was still alive when he rang the ambulance on the night she died. He said he rang emergency services three times and had held a towel on the wound.

Asked by Mr Munro whether he had anything else to say, the accused said: “She was a brilliant mother, she really was and I didn’t do this”.

In cross-examination, Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, told Mr Hayes that he had used a “borrowed word” to describe his relationship with Ms McDermott as toxic and the same word for his relationship with Ms Higgins.

The barrister asked the witness were both relationships toxic in the same way. Mr Hayes said they were not and that he had trusted Ms Higgins.

The trial continues on Friday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women, when closing speeches will commence.