A MURDER trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard that an affair between the victim and her lover was rekindled four months before her death.
David Bourke (49) has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jean Gilbert (46) at their home at Laverna Dale, Castleknock, Co Dublin on August 28th, 2007.
The court has previously heard that Ms Gilbert was stabbed four times in the back and that Mr Bourke told gardaí he stabbed her but did not intend to kill her.
Yesterday, a statement given by Robert Campion to gardaí after the alleged murder, was read out to the court. Mr Campion said that he met Ms Gilbert in 1986 in Japan on a Buddhist trip. He said they had a relationship for a year and a half after the trip.
The court heard that they then lost contact until 1988 when Ms Gilbert wrote to Mr Campion, asking him to marry her. "I got cold feet because I was a professional musician," he said.
During the 1990s, Mr Campion heard "through the grapevine" Ms Gilbert had married.
"I presumed she was happy," he said. The court has previously heard that Ms Gilbert married the accused man, Mr Bourke, in 1994.
Mr Campion decided to write to Ms Gilbert again in April 2007. She responded and he wrote another letter. This contact then "advanced to text messages".
The court heard that Ms Gilbert went on a Buddhist trip to France in July 2007 and, after the trip, stayed with Mr Campion in Southampton for four to five nights. Mr Campion said that Ms Gilbert visited him again in Southampton on August 17th for a week.
"I handed in my notice, gave up my flat and planned to return to Ireland with Jean," he said.
Mr Campion and Ms Gilbert got the ferry from Holyhead on Sunday, August 26th, and he booked into the Travelodge Hotel in Castleknock. He said he met Ms Gilbert the following day.
Mr Bourke texted his wife to say he was "going to counselling for the children" and Ms Gilbert returned home. Mr Campion said Ms Gilbert met him on the Monday night and they went for a drink, then to the hotel.
Ms Gilbert received a text from Mr Bourke, saying: "Lies, lies, lies, you said you were going to visit your mother."
Mr Campion said Ms Gilbert left but returned at 5.30am and they had sex. He said that Mr Bourke texted his wife again, this time saying: "You're ruining my holiday." Ms Gilbert returned home later that morning.
Mr Campion said he tried to phone her later that day but got no reply. He said he was worried and went to Laverna Dale and spoke to gardaí there.
Mr Campion told gardaí Mr Bourke and Ms Gilbert's children were not going to live with him and Ms Gilbert but that Mr Bourke "would mind the kids full-time".
Earlier, Colin Smith SC, defending, read a letter written by Mr Campion to Ms Gilbert, dated May 30th, 2007. In the letter, Mr Campion wrote: "I want to be with you spiritually, not just physically."
Mr Campion also wrote: "The most important thing is to establish a life together. This has to be handled with care because children are involved."
The letter went on: "I've always said that not marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life. I would be fully honoured in the future if you could be my wife."
The court also heard of a text message Mr Bourke sent to work colleague Geraldine Brereton the evening before his wife's alleged murder.
The text stated: "Hi Ger. She arrived back just as I was leaving to collect [my daughter]. Seems he came back with her. There was a smell of tobacco, BO and two dirty dinner plates.
"Things got worse. We had a massive row. I told her there would be fisticuffs if he turned up in the house while I was there.
";I just hate her. I had to get out of the house or I would have killed her. I was that angry."
The court heard that Mr Bourke was working with Hibernian Life as an insurance administrator at the time. Mr Bourke said his wife told him on June 15th that he had one month to leave the house.
"I had no intention to leave the house," he said.
The court has previously heard that Ms Gilbert was stabbed four times in the back. Mr Bourke told gardaí that it was "quite a horrible attack".
Asked when he had made the "final decision" to use the knife, Mr Bourke said: "When standing in the sitting-room I made the final decision . . . I thought about it in the morning when I was watching TV and thought about it in the shower but hadn't made up my mind."
He said that he did not expect his wife to die.
"I tried to give her the kiss of life a number of times."
Dr Hassan Albayyari told the court Mr Bourke was his patient since January 2001. He said he prescribed him anti-depressants and sleeping-tablets in July that year. The trial continues.