Court room silent as Lillis takes the stand

SILENCE descended on Court 19 as the only person still alive to recount how Celine Cawley met her death began his evidence at the Central Criminal Court.

On the ninth day of his murder trial, Ms Cawley’s husband, Eamonn Lillis, finally got to put his version of events to the jury of six men and six women after counsel for the DPP earlier yesterday morning wrapped up the case for the prosecution.

Every pair of eyes in the packed courtroom turned towards the soft-spoken 52-year-old businessman as he moved his slight frame into the witness box at 11.57am.