The doctor who pronounced Tom Nevin dead told a Central Criminal Court jury yesterday that Mrs Catherine Nevin was "distraught and shocked" when he told her that her husband was dead.
Dr Nicholas Buggle, a family doctor based in Arklow, Co Wicklow, told Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, that he pronounced Mr Nevin dead at 5.05 a.m. on Tuesday, March 19th, 1996.
Dr Buggle agreed that he disturbed the body where it lay on the kitchen floor, but said he replaced it in the same position when he realised Mr Nevin was dead. He noted that Mr Nevin's "forehead was cool and his face and hands were cool". Blood on the floor beside the body was "partially congealed".
Gardai then asked him to see Mrs Nevin. "She was very upset," he told the court. "What she kept on saying was that she wanted to see her husband.
"I explained to her that her husband was dead, and she was distraught and shocked."
Cross-examined by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, Dr Buggle agreed he "probably" told Mrs Nevin about the gunshot wound. "She was shocked and crying and at first refused to believe me."
Mrs Nevin (48), has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her husband, Mr Tom Nevin (54), on March 19th, 1996, in their home at Jack White's Inn, Ballinapark, Co Wicklow. She has also denied charges of soliciting three people to carry out the murder.
Det Garda Gerard Scanlon, from the Garda Technical Bureau, agreed with the defence counsel that there were nine separate entrances to Jack White's Inn at the time of the killing. He also agreed there were a variety of routes from Jack White's Inn to Dublin city centre, a 35-mile journey by the main road.
In other evidence, Mr James Curry, a controller-operator at Bell Communications alarm company, said the company's computer flashed up a panic alarm activation at Jack White's Inn at 4.31 a.m. He immediately rang Wexford Garda station. To the best of his knowledge the time was accurate, he said. Cross-examined, he agreed he had never been asked by gardai to check the accuracy of the computer's clock.
Garda Sean Whelan, of Wexford station, said he received the call from Bell Communications at 4.27 a.m. He said he took the time from a digital clock in the communications room at the station.
Cross-examined on the timing discrepancy, Garda Whelan said he never became aware of it.
The trial continues before Ms Justice Mella Carroll today.