A DUBLIN man accused of murdering his wife told a jury yesterday that he accepted responsibility for her death.
Mr Michael Halligan (38), formerly of Buttercup Park, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering his wife, Martina (33), at that address on May 5th last year.
The prosecution has claimed the killing took place outside the house which Mr Halligan and his two sons had shared with Mrs Halligan and her two children from a previous relationship.
The former assistant State Pathologist, Dr Margaret Bolster, said Mrs Halligan had died from shock and haemorrhage due to seven stab wounds. Three of the stab wounds had gone right through the body and two of them would have been "rapidly fatal".
Mr Halligan said yesterday that when he got to his house at Buttercup Park on May 5th his wife told him she had got rid of his bike and his children's bunk beds.
Mr Halligan said they were arguing and he was "never so angry". They went downstairs and she walked out the front door to the gate and began screaming and running when she saw him coming after her.
He said there was a fight and then he got his children and went to a friend's house. It happened so quickly he could not remember what had happened.
Mr Halligan told his counsel, Mr Anthony Sammon SC, that he accepted responsibility for his wife's death. Cross examined by prosecuting counsel Mr Gregory Murphy SC, Mr Halligan said he had never used violence against his wife. He agreed she had secured barring orders against him but said she had made false allegations to get the orders.
"I knew something terrible had happened. It was an awful fight, and I ran and I just saw blood on my jumper." He did not recall having a knife.
Earlier Dr Louise McKenna of the Forensic Science Laboratory said she had identified blood stains on Mr Halligan's clothing which could have come from Mrs Halligan. Other bloodstains were only consistent with Mr Halligan's blood.
Det Garda John Cryan, who interviewed Mr Halligan at Raheny Garda station, said the accused had given himself up voluntarily, after the killing.
Mr Halligan told gardai that he and his wife had moved into his, rented corporation house after they married. They had started to quarrel after six months and Mr Halligan believed his wife was treating his sons badly.
The trial before Mr Justice Morris and the jury continues today.