Accused’s fingerprints were found at scene

BURN marks were found on the T-shirt, pants and underpants on the dead body of Robert Holohan during forensic examinations.

Two fingerprints - identified as being Wayne O’Donoghue’s - were found on a bag found inside the sack over the remains of Robert Holohan. It was discovered that they were O’Donoghue’s fingerprints the day before he confessed to killing the boy, and the prints were confirmed as his the day after, Detective Garda Patrick O’Brien said.

Gardaí had taken the fingerprints of hundreds of local people in the days after Robert was killed.

O’Donoghue admits manslaughter, but denies murdering Robert Holohan on January 4 last.

Detective Garda Thomas Carey testified yesterday that the body was found in an area of steep ground heavily covered with briars and brambles. From the roadside, there was a five-foot grassy verge and then a drop of almost 10 to 12 feet before a more gradual decline.

Det Garda Carey said that the body was lying downhill, with the legs almost vertical, and the head and upper torso inside a black refuse sack. There was evidence of tissue damage to the legs and hips caused by animals.

Majella Holohan, mother of the deceased, tried to control her tears at this point in the evidence.

“The tail of the T-shirt was outside the tracksuit bottoms. I noticed what appeared to be burning on the tail of the T-shirt,” Det Garda Carey said.

The grey shirt with orange arms was held up in evidence in the witness box and displayed to the seven women and five men of the jury.

After the preliminary forensic examination at the scene, the body of Robert Holohan was placed in a body bag and removed to Cork University Hospital.

Detective Sgt Peter Kenny described the scene in the O’Donoghue family kitchen where Wayne O’Donoghue sat on a couch and took responsibility for the first time for killing the Midleton schoolboy on January 4, 2005.

Detective Sergeant Kenny of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation arrived at the O’Donoghue family home at the invitation of the accused’s father, Ray O’Donoghue.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, was called by the family’s solicitor Dan Wall, who felt that Mr Buttimer would have more experience in criminal law and be more capable of dealing with the matter.

Wayne O’Donoghue began making his statement of admission at 3.46pm and he did not stop until 11pm.

At the end of the interview Wayne O’Donoghue, 21, of Ballyedmond, Midleton, asked if he could see his girlfriend.

Gardaí at his home had just finished writing down the lengthy statement of admission. The investigators agreed to Wayne O’Donoghue’s request and Ms Dennehy was collected from her home and brought to see her boyfriend, the Central Criminal Court heard.

Defence SC Blaise O’Carroll said his client wanted to tell his girlfriend in person.

The accused had this private conversation with Ms Dennehy in view of the gardaí at his home that night.

The trial will continue on Tuesday at 11am.