A MAN has been jailed for life by the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his lover after she taunted him over his sexual performance.
Gerard Mullane stabbed and strangled Ms Valerie Linehan after he failed to make love to her after a night's drinking. She taunted him for his failure and blamed him for a miscarriage.
Mullane (33), a gas fitter and native of Emly, Co Tipperary, was convicted of the murder of Ms Linehan (21), of Killala Gardens, Cork, at his flat at Mac Curtain Street, Cork, on December 4th, 1994. The jury took two hours to reach a unanimous verdict.
At the trial's start on Monday, Mr Kevin Haugh SC, defending, said Mullane was making a formal admission that he had killed Ms Linehan. The only issue was one of provocation.
Mr Justice Carney told the jury that, because of the admission, they would have to decide if the killing was murder or manslaughter.
Mr Joseph Matthews SC, prosecuting, said the case was "an enormous human tragedy" because Mullane had killed the woman he loved.
In evidence, Mullane told Mr Haugh he had been going out with Ms Linehan for about seven months before her death. When asked if Ms Linehan was in love with him, he replied: "She said she was."
He said he became aware she was pregnant three weeks before the miscarriage. She had a miscarriage the Monday before she died. "When I found out I just put my arms around her."
Mullane said on Saturday, December 3rd, he had five pints after work and met Ms Linehan at 8.30 p.m. in a pub. After more drinks, they went back to his flat where they had "a few cans".
"The next thing she was a bit hyper. She started to blame me for the miscarriage. She said if I was man enough she'd still pregnant today. I said `What do you f... mean by that.' She said `You probably haven't got enough sperm in you'."
Mullane said the went on for 30 or 40 minutes. They were naked and he been sitting on the bed when the argument started. When they finished the cans, they both got into bed. "We tried to make love and I just couldn't perform because I had a lot to drink. She started on to me about that."
Asked if he had been able to get an erection, Mullane said he could not.
"She said `You call yourself a f... man. You are on about trying for a child again and you can't even get a f... hard on tonight.'"
"I said `Would you f... leave it out and give it a f... break.' She just kept on and on and on."
Mullane said her words were having "a big effect" on him. "I was f... raging myself. The next thing I knew I ran out of the room. I just got off the bed and ran out of the room. I just completely flipped. The next thing I knew I was back in the room. The next thing I knew we were struggling on the bed. I realised I was after stabbing Valerie", he added.
Mullane said he saw blood on his hands. When he was arguing with Ms Linehan, they both stood up once or twice. "I think I caught her by the throat once or twice and pushed her away."
He said he knew she was still alive when he left the flat because she was still breathing. After about an hour, he went to Anglesea Street Garda station.
Asked by Mr Haugh if he had ever wished for Ms Linehan to be dead, he replied: "I wished she was alive."