A 60-YEAR-OLD woman has been charged with the murder of her husband in Co Westmeath more than 20 years ago.
Vera McGrath, of Coole, Co Westmeath, was arrested at her home yesterday morning and later appeared before Longford District Court.
Brian McGrath, a Dublin native, was 43 years old when he disappeared from his home in Coole, near Castlepollard, in March 1987.
Ms McGrath appeared before Judge John Neilan yesterday charged with murdering Mr McGrath on a date unknown between March 16th, 1987 and April 18th, 1987 at Lower Coole, Coole, Co Westmeath.
Det Insp Martin Cadden told the court he arrested the accused at her home at 8.10am and brought her to Mullingar Garda station, where she was formally charged.
The court heard that the accused did not reply after caution, and there was no application made for legal aid or requests for medical or psychiatric reports to be carried out.
Ms McGrath’s solicitor Paul Moore told the court that he was concerned about the fairness of an impending trial with regard to his client.
Mr Moore told the court that “grossly irresponsible press coverage” had occurred prior to the charging of the accused.
He said that there were now fears that she would not receive a fair trial as a result.
“The place for adjudication of the guilt of a person is the duty of a court of law, and not in the media,” Mr Moore said.
“I hope that the less responsible press will now refrain from this and allow due process to take its course.”
Judge Neilan said that due process would occur, and he assured Mr Moore the accused would receive a fair trial.
Mr McGrath, a father of four, was not reported missing until an individual approached gardaí with information some six years after his disappearance. A follow-up investigation resulted in a Garda search team uncovering unidentified human remains in an overgrown garden attached to a cottage which had been the McGrath family home. However, nobody was charged in relation to the matter.
In May of last year, gardaí reopened their investigation into the disappearance and a body was exhumed from a cemetery in Westmeath and a new forensic examination commenced.
Over 25 Garda personnel, assisted by a Crime Scene Investigation team from the Garda Technical Bureau, the Forensic Science Laboratory, soil experts and an anthropologist participated in the investigation. A file was submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions following the investigation, but no prosecution followed.
Earlier this year, Colin Pinder (46), of Lorne Street, Liverpool, England, was charged with murdering Mr McGrath on a date between March 16th, 1987, and April 4th, 1987. Mr Pinder was arrested and charged at Dublin airport on February 5th when he returned from England. He was last month remanded on continuing bail to appear before Mullingar District Court on June 18th.