THE TV producer charged with murdering his wife and business partner just over a year ago has admitted that there was no third person present when she was injured before her death.
Eamonn Lillis (51) has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to Celine Cawley’s murder on December 15th, 2008, at their home, Rowan Hill, Windgate Road, Howth, Co Dublin.
On the opening day of the trial, Mary Ellen Ring, prosecuting, told the jury that the 46-year-old mother died from head injuries at 10.56am that day in Beaumont Hospital. Emergency services had found her unconscious in a pool of blood on her patio.
Ms Ring said Mr Lillis first told gardaí that he came home from walking their dogs to find an intruder wearing a balaclava attacking his wife behind their house. He said he tried to intervene but the intruder attacked him and then ran away. He even nominated a suspect, who was investigated and forensically ruled out.
The following day he rang the Garda station to add that he had blanked out after being assaulted, but couldn’t remember for how long. He also added that while checking his wife for a pulse, he had put her hand to his face.
Mr Lillis’s barrister, Brendan Grehan, made nine admissions on his client’s behalf: “He admits that he lied to emergency services and the gardaí,” said Mr Grehan.
“He admits that there was no burglary, no intruder and no third party other than themselves.”
Ms Ring said that Mr Lillis handed over the clothes he was wearing when gardaí arrived. However, she said that detectives found a black suitcase under some items in the attic. Inside it was a black refuse sack containing jeans, a black jumper and boxer shorts. All were stained with blood that matched Ms Cawley’s.
A polo shirt was found in the wardrobe of the upstairs bedroom where Mr Lillis slept. This was heavily stained with blood that matched his wife’s. Runner boots found in the wardrobe were stained with the same blood. A watch found on a locker beside the defendant’s bed was stained with this blood also. An effort had been made to wipe it and there was tissue embedded in its clasp. The sink in the adjoining upstairs bathroom was also blood-stained.
Ms Ring said gardaí found significant phone traffic between Mr Lillis’s three mobile phones and two phone numbers belonging to Jean Tracey. Ms Tracey told gardaí that a sexual relationship had developed between her and Mr Lillis in the preceding few months.
Mr Lillis was arrested in Howth five days after his wife’s death. After initial denials he admitted the relationship, but said it had nothing to do with the investigation.
Ms Ring said the jury would hear from Ms Tracey, who was in contact with the defendant some time after his being charged.
“Jean Tracey will say he [Mr Lillis] told her of a row that took place between him and Ms Cawley in the kitchen, which continued onto the back patio. The row became physical and led to the injuries on both,” said Ms Ring. “They were both concerned about what they’d say to their daughter, and Ms Cawley suggested saying there was a burglary.”
Ms Ring said that the couple’s daughter would give evidence that her father told her that her mother had slipped on a brick that morning. He said she took the brick into the kitchen and when he asked if she was okay, she turned on him. He said there was a scuffle, which moved outside, where she slipped again.
For the first time in such a case, all present in the packed courtroom saw pictures of the blood-stained decking area, as well as photographs of the blood-stained clothes and sink, blood on the kitchen door and blood on the wall by a window. The tape of the emergency call Mr Lillis made at 10.04 that morning was also played.
Ms Ring said that Ms Cawley and Mr Lillis married in July 1991 and their daughter was born at the end of the following year.
She said the couple began producing television commercials in the early 1990s. They were successful with their company, Toytown Films, based on Windmill Lane in the city.
The murder trial will continue before Mr Justice Barry White, who warned the jury that this trial was likely to receive a lot of media and other attention and they were not to discuss it with anyone.