Irish woman attacked, raped months before killing, court told

An Irish woman was allegedly subjected to a strangulation attempt and raped by her husband in the months before he stabbed her to death, the New South Wales Supreme Court heard on Tuesday.

Comrie Cullen (39), originally from Bangor, Co Down, was found dead near mangroves at a fishing club in southern Sydney in January 2014.

Her throat had been cut.

Christina Acriuli, who was her employer at a beauty salon, told the court Ms Cullen was abused by her husband Christopher Cullen.

“He forced himself upon her sexually many times,” Ms Acriuli said. “She would pretend to be asleep sometimes.”

Christopher Cullen (51) has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murder saying he acted in excessive self-defence.

Ms Acriuli described Ms Cullen as a “lovely, very friendly” woman. She said about six months after she started work at the salon, Ms Cullen spoke of her marriage problems and once showed bruises on her arms.

“[She said] that he had pushed her up against a wall, that he was angry, that he’d been drinking and it got out of hand,” Ms Acriuli said.

She added that Ms Cullen said her husband did not want her to work full-time, called her a “whore” and a “slut”, forced her to sleep in the garage, and that her marriage was unbearable.

Ms Cullen’s father, John Waters, says she regularly spoke about leaving him.

“She also told us during this period that he had tried to strangle her and that she believed it was a serious attempt to take her life,” Mr Waters said.

“She was trying to find ways to leave, to get out as it were, but she was also frightened.”

When they spoke over Skype, Mr Waters said his daughter often called from a cupboard or the basement as she had to be “secretive”.

On the day of Ms Cullen’s death, the court heard, Mr Cullen emerged from mangroves near the St George and Sutherland Shire Anglers Club with wounds to the chest, abdomen and cuts to the wrist.

Mr Cullen's barrister Winston Terracini said his client was not suggesting he was "not guilty of anything".

“What he is saying is that in the circumstances of this case, he behaved in an excessive way and he lost his self-control.”

The trial continues.