THE JURY in the trial of the man accused of murdering Melissa Mahon has now heard all prosecution evidence in the case.
Ronald McManus (44), also known as Ronnie Dunbar, of Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Melissa Mahon (14) on a date unknown between September 14th and 30th, 2006.
He also denies threatening to kill one of his daughters, Samantha Conroy, during the same period.
On day 21 of the Central Criminal Court trial, the jury heard from Det Garda William O’Neill, who analysed the records from the mobile phones of both Ms Mahon and Mr McManus.
Det O’Neill said that in the period between Ms Mahon getting a mobile phone on August 29th, 2006, and her disappearance on September 14th, 2006, more than 30 per cent of calls or texts recorded on Mr McManus’s phone involved phone calls or texts to or from the girl.
The witness said that of 679 calls or texts to or from Mr McManus’s phone during that period, 210 were to or from Melissa’s phone. Det O’Neill said that during the same period there were 83 calls or texts between the accused and his then girlfriend, Angelique Sheridan.
He said there were a number of calls and text messages between the phones on the morning Melissa went missing. The last call from Mr McManus to Melissa was recorded at 10.52am that day.
Det O’Neill agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that the phone records could not indicate who had in fact made or received the calls, but only that communication was recorded between phones attributed to particular people.
Mr Grehan also referred to evidence given earlier in the trial by Ms Sheridan that her relationship with the accused ended in about the first week of September.
Niall Delaney, a journalist from Ocean FM radio station in Sligo, told Mr Grehan that he interviewed the accused on February 19th, 2008, in Mr McManus’s car and recorded their conversation.
Mr Delaney agreed that there was huge media interest in the discovery of remains at Lough Gill and that Mr McManus wanted to “set the record straight” and respond to allegations against him.
Mr Delaney said he spoke to the accused for 90 minutes and that Mr McManus asked that the entire conversation be recorded and that Mr Delaney interview the accused’s youngest daughter. The accused also asked Mr Delaney that his voice be disguised for broadcast. The journalist said the accused told him he had not killed Melissa and was adamant that he had had a purely father-daughter relationship with the girl.
The witness said Mr McManus was critical of social workers and wanted to know why they had not gone after Melissa on the last occasion on which she was seen.
Yesterday, Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, indicated the State’s case had concluded. Mr Grehan told Mr Justice Barry White he had an application to make in the absence of the jury. The trial will continue this morning.