A man accused of murdering his partner told gardaí she was “the best woman in the world” and he wondered why anyone would kill her.
Adam Corcoran (31) made the comments to Det Sgt Cormac Ó Bric as he was being medically assessed by paramedics following the discovery of the body of Daena Walsh (27) in their apartment in Co Cork.
Corcoran denies murdering Walsh, a mother of two and a native of Co Wicklow, at John Barry House, Connolly Street, Midleton on August 2nd, 2024, and causing criminal damage by arson to the apartment on the same occasion.
At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on Wednesday, Ó Bric told how he was on duty in Midleton Garda station on the day in question when he became aware of a call reporting a suicide at John Barry House. He arrived at the scene at 4.30pm.
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He said he saw Corcoran at the back of an ambulance near the building on Connolly Street, which had been on fire. He went over to speak to him to try to ascertain what had happened. He said he took notes of what was said.
He said Corcoran told him he left to go to an off-licence and was gone for four minutes. When he returned, he found Walsh with injuries in the upstairs apartment, which was on fire, and he rang the emergency services seeking help.
Ó Bric said Corcoran told him: “I came from the offie [off-licence] – I saw Daena was bleeding – all she said was, ‘I love you so much, this wasn’t your fault’ ... Before I went out she was lighting candles, we were going to have a sexual time, if you know what I mean.”
The detective said he asked Corcoran where Walsh was when he returned to the apartment.
Corcoran replied, “she had cuts, she had a big blade, I don’t know where it came from, I told her I loved her”.
There was no one else in the apartment, Corcoran told him.
The jury also heard evidence from Det Sgt Ger O’Shaughnessy, who also responded to the call and arrived at the scene to see Corcoran being taken from the building by paramedics for assessment in an ambulance.
“He looked dishevelled – he had blood over his right eye and blood on his hands and clothing,” said O’Shaughnessy.
Det Insp John O’Connell told how he entered the building with emergency medicine specialist Dr Hugh Doran shortly after 5.38pm and they observed the body of a woman lying on her back on the floor under a skylight in the dining area of the apartment.
He said the woman was wearing a blue three-quarter-length skirt and a matching blue top, that was rolled up, exposing her stomach which bore the signs of significant injury.
O’Connell also told how the woman’s right arm was by her side, but her left arm was raised across her forehead, and he could see she had suffered a serious injury to her left arm.
The case continues.
