Affair was mid-life crisis, says Lillis
Lillis, 52, denies the charge of killing his 46-year-old wife Celine Cawley at their family home at Rowan Hill on Windgate Road in Howth on December 15, 2008.
The trial at the Central Criminal Court heard details of an interview conducted by gardaí with Lillis in Clontarf Garda Station after he had been arrested in connection with his wife’s death.
Lillis had first told gardaí he had grappled with an intruder who had assaulted his wife of 17 years and who also injured him.
However, the trial heard on Monday that Lillis now admitted that only he and his wife were in the house at the time of her death.
The court heard that, on being arrested, Lillis said: “Arresting me? What’s the basis for this?”
Later, while being interviewed at Clontarf Garda Station, Lillis first said he did not know Jean Treacy, who regularly gave him massages at a beauty salon, very well.
But later, when told she had made a statement to gardaí that they had been having an affair for 10 weeks, Lillis said: “I did have an affair but it has absolutely nothing to do with this.”
Asked in the interview if he was infatuated with Ms Treacy, Lillis said: “Yes – I suppose it was a form of mid-life crisis.” But he said he had not planned on leaving Celine, and said he had not killed her.
Gardaí said everyone they had spoken to had said he was “a nice guy” and suggested maybe he had “exploded” that morning. Lillis had responded by shaking his head, the court was told.
The jury was also shown items of clothing with suspected blood stains which had been found in a refuse bag in a suitcase in the attic of the house.
One garda suggested that while there had been no element of preparation regarding Ms Cawley’s death, there did seem to be a cover-up, to which Lillis had said: “I don’t get this, I really don’t get this cover-up, I’m sorry.”
The trial continues.
