A Co Clare woman accused of murdering a man who was found beaten to death in a laneway told gardai "I didn't do it," a jury in the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Ms Deirdre Rose (20), of Killaloe, denies the charge that on the December 4th, 1998, at Garraun, Ballinahinch, Newport, Co Tipperary, she murdered Mr John Carroll (22), of Mullally Grove, Cappamore, Limerick. Ms Rose also denies that on the December 4th, 1998, at a place unknown, she assaulted Mr Carroll with intent to rob.
Sgt William Saunderson, of Tulla Garda station in Clare told the court he arrested the accused in connection with the killing on the December 5th, 1998, and cautioned her. She replied: "I didn't do it."
Ms Rose made two statements later that day, which Mr Eamon Leahy SC, prosecuting, asked Sgt Saunderson to follow using the original, as he read aloud for the court from a typed copy.
The statement said that Ms Rose had been baby-sitting for another woman on the night of the attack on Mr Carroll when a number of people came back to the house, accompanied by Mr Carroll.
A row developed between Mr Carroll and a number of the other people, one of whom had attempted to invite Mr Carroll to remain at the house that night for £30. When Mr Carroll refused to do this, he was followed outside by a number of people, where he was assaulted, the court was told.
Mr Carroll was then taken back inside the house and it was apparent he had lost consciousness. When Mr Carroll came round about 15 minutes later "he wrote 999 on the couch with his finger. I saw he was looking for help."
In her statement, Ms Rose said that on the night of Mr Carroll's death, she had been in a car in which he and two other men were travelling.
"[Another named man] put him in the back seat of the car and he wasn't able to talk. I sat into the front seat of the car. [Another man] beat the shit out of him with his fists. I didn't look back because I was scared of the violence on John."
According to the statement, Mr Carroll was subsequently taken out of the car and beaten with an iron bar. After this Mr Carroll was left at the roadside and Ms Rose said she heard one of the men say, "Drive on, he's a dead man now." After asking "Is he really dead?" she was told "He's a dead man for life," the court heard.
The three then left the scene and drove to a fast-food outlet where the two men ate chips and a burger and Ms Rose had a soft drink. "There was no mention of the murder all night," the statement said.
Opening the case for the State, Mr Eamon Leahy SC told the court that the deceased, who was deaf and had a speech impediment, had sustained severe blunt-force trauma to the head, coupled with several fractures and lacerations that had caused injuries to his brain.
He said Mr Carroll's death had not occurred immediately and it is believed he had lain unconscious for some time.
A farmer who found Mr Carroll had placed a covering over the body and said a prayer before contacting gardai to report the matter, the court heard. It was not until the post-mortem that Mr Carroll was identified from a wallet found in his inner clothing, Mr Leahy said.
Mr Leahy told the jury that Deirdre Rose "knew from very early" on that the intention was "to rob John Carroll of money". He said those engaged in a joint enterprise were responsible for the acts of each other and as such, Ms Rose was charged with murder and assault with intent to rob.
Mr Brendan Grogan SC, defending, told the court that the defence accepted and admitted certain matters in the case, including that statements made by the accused were made voluntarily by her and that "there is no contest on this matter".
The case will resume today before Mr Justice Paul Carney following the conclusion of legal argument.