Witnesses shed more light on Robert’s death

AT 2.30pm sharp, State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy swept through the atrium of Cork City Courthouse in a blonde blur, before stepping smartly into courtroom number two of the Central Criminal Court.

Dressed in a long black coat and spiky black heels, she was the first to take the stand for the afternoon session of day six of the Wayne O’Donoghue murder trial.

Her appearance followed a morning where the remainder of a video of the accused being interviewed by two gardaí at Midleton Garda Station was played out. In it, Det Sgt Sean O’Brien suggested Wayne had tried to set fire to the body of 11-year-old Robert Holohan some time after he dumped his remains.

“That’s your opinion and you’re entitled to it,” the accused replied. A number of witnesses for the prosecution made an appearance before lunch, including Áine Dorgan, a volunteer with the Irish Rescue Dogs Service. She had met Wayne and his brother after joining the search for Robert in the early hours of January 5, the day after he went missing. Áine had brought two dogs to assist in the search. Wayne asked her questions about training the dogs. She mentioned the possibility of bringing in a bloodhound, because of that breed’s particular talent in picking up a scent.

She noted Wayne seemed “not enthusiastic” about this possibility. He asked if a bloodhound could pick up a scent from a car.

Prof Michael Fitzgerald, an expert in child psychiatry, gave evidence of diagnosing Robert with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Under cross examination, he agreed reprimanding a person with these disorders “can make them more defiant.” He said children with ADHD were at increased risk of being victims.

The 60-plus observers in the public gallery represented a fall-off in Tuesday’s attendance, but Ray and Theresa O’Donoghue, parents of the accused, maintained their presence. Wayne’s girlfriend Rebecca arrived in the company of her father Richard. Majella and Mark Holohan sat on the lower benches, Majella wearing a black blazer and dark striped shirt, her face largely inscrutable until Prof Cassidy began her description of how Robert’s body had looked when she examined it before its removal from the roadside ditch.

Her face crumpled and tears fell silently, as she clasped her husband’s arm. Her son’s clothing was then held up to the court and Prof Cassidy pointed out burn marks around the hem of on an orange and white long-sleeved t-shirt and melted material around the waistband of Robert’s tracksuit bottoms. However, she concluded his body had not been burnt.

Animals had done some damage to his scalp and face and the small of his back. Toxicology tests had found no evidence of alcohol or drugs in Robert’s body nor was there any evidence of sexual assault.

Prof Cassidy did, however, find pinpoint haemorrhages behind both of his ears and studies had found 15-30 seconds of constant compression was required to produce these injuries, she said. She said the patterns of bruising on his neck were more consistent with manual strangulation “like a hand gripping the neck”, that they were consistent with his neck being compressed by an armlock either from behind or in front. Prof Cassidy said cause of death was asphyxia, due to neck compression, but the problem was determining how long Robert was gripped for and how long it had taken him to die. The trial continues today.