THE YOUNGEST daughter of the man accused of murdering 14-year-old Melissa Mahon has told a jury that he murdered her.
The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, told Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that although she had given a number of different accounts to gardaí, she wanted to tell the truth, “that my Dad had murdered Melissa Mahon”.
Ronald McManus (44), also known as Ronnie Dunbar, Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering the schoolgirl in September 2006. He also denies threatening to kill his daughter Samantha Conroy.
She said that on September 20th, 2006, she came home to find her father leaning over the back wall of their garden, into the house next door out of which they had recently moved. The witness said she looked over the wall and saw Melissa, who had been in care, kneeling with a key in her hand. She said she was angry with her father because he was not supposed to have Melissa in their house. Melissa had previously run away from home and stayed in their house for three weeks.
She said that later that evening Melissa was in their house when gardaí called looking for her but she ran out the back door.
She said that the next morning Melissa was in the accused’s bed. Later in the day the witness walked into her father’s bedroom and found him lying on top of Melissa. She said she asked her father what he was doing and he said, “Keeping her sweet”. She said Melissa laughed.
The witness said she was upset and went downstairs. Her sister Samantha came home and she said they both went to their father’s room. She said Melissa was lying on her side and the accused lay behind her with his arm around her neck.
She said Melissa was not moving or speaking and her eyes were closed. She said her father then said that Melissa had threatened to go to the Garda and had previously tried to kill him. He got off the bed and took a tie from his bedside cabinet. She said he put it around Melissa’s neck and asked her and Samantha to hold it.
She said she was scared and thought Melissa would wake up and laugh at her. The witness said her father went to the bathroom then returned and placed a pillow over Melissa’s face. She said she and her sister had let go of the tie and were standing watching. She alleges that he told Samantha to get a sleeping bag which he then put Melissa’s body into head first. She said he asked them to help.
She said he told her to check if anyone was outside and then put Melissa into the boot of his car. Her evidence was that he then drove, with her in the back seat and Samantha in the front, to an area beside the River Bonnet.
She said that he dragged Melissa’s body through the woods and asked Samantha to help him swing the sleeping bag into the river. She said he unzipped it first, took the tie from Melissa’s neck and tied the sleeping bag up with it.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of six men and six women. It is expected to last for a further two to three weeks.