Furlong’s father says there are times when his ‘blood is boiling’

The father of 21-year-old Nicola Furlong has said there have been times during his daughter's murder trial when his "blood is boiling" listening to some of what has been said in court.

However, Andrew Furlong said the accused, Richard Hinds, who has been giving evidence today, is "innocent until proven guilty".

"Well, we knew that we'd have to sit and listen and we knew what was going to come out but that doesn't make it any easier to actually hear it," Mr Furlong, who was speaking from Tokyo, Japan where his daugher's murder trial is taking place, told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

“I have since I was over the very first time in June, I heard all this; I heard what happened Nicola so since then we’ve been preparing ourselves for it and known that there was a lot of stuff going to come out.

“But even knowing what was going to come out, to actually hear it being described for you, it’s very, very hard. No parent should have to go through it. But...we’re not the first and we won’t be the last. It could happen to somebody else next week...”

Asked about statements to be given by his wife Angela and daughter Andrea incourt tomorrow Mr Furlong said it was “very important” to them to share what they have gone through since May 24th last.

“It’s very important because we’re in court, we’ve two lawyers and we’re behind the prosecutor but...there’s times...my blood is boiling, I want to go and grab him and grab the defence by the throat, you know for everything they’ve been saying, but you just can’t. It’s a court, you cannot lose it in court...

“But in writing things down it will put our feelings out in the court of what we feel has happened to us and the feelings... you could say bitterness, you could say wanting revenge, you could say any one of them words but it’s getting it in writing to read it out and for the court to hear it,” he said.

“It’s our way of putting our point forward in the court,” he added.

Mr Hinds, a US citizen who is charged with strangling Ms Furlong (21) in a Tokyo hotel in May is giving evidence in the trial today.

He has pleaded not guilty.