Graham Dwyer trial: prosecution finishes giving evidence

Images and links from Graham Dwyer’s 087 phone, taken from him when he was arrested, included women being stabbed, strangled and killed, a jury at the Central Criminal Court has been told.

Mr Dwyer told gardaí he couldn’t explain why he looked at them. “I know it’s sick,” he said.

Graham Dwyer (42), an architect from Kerrymount Close in Foxrock, is charged with murdering childcare worker Ms O’Hara (36) on August 22nd, 2012. He has pleaded not guilty.

Ms O’ Hara’s remains were found in forestry on Kilakee Mountain, Rathfarnham, on September 13th, 2013.

The prosecution case has now concluded and the case had adjourned until Monday.

Earlier, Det Sgt John Colgan agreed with Sean Guerin SC, for the prosecution, that Mr Dwyer was asked about the contents of his HTC phone in the fifth and final interview with gardaí following his arrest in October, 2013.

Mr Guerin read the questioning into the record.

The court was told the data on Mr Dwyer’s phone included “Youtube applications” accessed in May and June 2013.

Titles included: “Close up stabbing” and “Woman stabbing prison guard”. Asked about these by Det Sgt Colgan, Mr Dwyer answered “If the machine says that, I agree with that, it’s related to horror”.

Mr Dwyer was also asked about a link on his phone to “woman strangled” and asked if he recognised it.

“I wouldn’t dispute it, but I never strangled anyone,” Mr Dwyer responded. He was asked about other clips one of which he explained was of a “live murder” in Russia. There was also a link on the phone to 391@gmail.com.

Mr Dwyer was asked who that was.

“Is it Elaine O’Hara?” he responded. “I believe it is,” Det Sgt Colgan told him.

Mr Dwyer was also asked about two images called “lovely disgrace.com” of a 17-year-old girl immobilised, stabbed and killed on a bed.

Mr Dwyer said he had looked at those on his laptop and they were on a website called “gore”, it was a horror site.

Det Sgt Colgan asked him why he needed to look at the sites.

“I can’t explain, I know it’s sick,” Mr Dwyer responded.

There were also four small “snaps” including one of a female breast with screwdriver inserted in it, and a “semi-naked female covered in blood”. Mr Dwyer said he didn’t take those photos. One photo was of a left hand with an injury on a finger.

Mr Dwyer said it was him and that he had accidentally electrocuted himself with a 40 amp plane charger.

He was also asked if he wanted to make a final comment. He said he was “not guilty” of the offence he was charged with and there were “lots of people” gardaí should be talking to.

“Anybody else like me who had contact with Elaine O’Hara,” he said. He said he did not know the identities of the men. He signed the final interview at 6.50am on October 18th, 2013.

He added gardaí were painting a picture of what he looked at based on a proportion of what he looked at. “Please don’t present to people that that’s all I look at,” he said.

An address book owned by Elaine O’Hara contained an 083 phone number under the name “Graham”, a jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard.

The green, spiral bound address and telephone book was shown to the jury and made an exhibit.

Detective Sgt Peter Woods confirmed he recognised the address book as being Ms O’Hara’s. The 083 number was stored under “G”, he said, with “Graham” written beside it.

Remy Farrell SC, for Mr Dwyer, cross-examined Det Sgt Woods on the interviews carried out by gardaí with the accused after his arrest on October 17th, 2013. The interviews, undertaken over a 24-hour period, were read to the jury on Wednesday and Thursday.

Mr Farrell asked Det Sgt Woods about his interview techniques and asked if there had been any attempt “to engage in subterfuge”.

“I don’t think so,” Det Sgt Woods said.

Mr Farrell said in some cases, gardaí tell people they have information they don’t have, using “every trick in the book”.

“I don’t do that; in my training it’s not allowed,” Det Sgt Woods responded.

Counsel questioned the detective about garda leaks to media during Mr Dwyer’s custody. He described it as a “regrettable and unfortunate aspect of Mr Dwyer’s detention” that information was being fed to media.

He said the entirety of the national media seemed to be extraordinarily well-informed either by one garda on a phone, or by “a number of gardaí acting as snouts”.

He also said gardaí were “leaking like a sieve”.

Mr Farrell quoted from the Irish Times website at 12.10pm on the day Mr Dwyer was arrested. He said the article said gardaí believed Ms O’Hara used websites for people with “niche sexual preferences”.

Det Sgt Woods said he thought it was disgraceful that the information was out there and it didn’t help the investigation.

Mr Farrell said at a couple of minutes after 3pm “the Independent website seems to be as equally well informed”.

And RTÉ carried information at lunch time that referred to information that could only have been known by someone accessing the pulse system. He asked Det Sgt Woods what he knew about the leaks.

“Nothing,” Det Sgt Woods said. “I had more important things to do.” He said he was busy all day either carrying out the interviews or preparing for them.

The cross examination continues.