Widow abducted, beaten and robbed, trial hears

A MURDER trial has heard that West Cork widow Anne Corcoran was abducted, beaten and robbed before her body was set on fire and later buried in a wood near Ballinspittle, Co Cork, last year.

It was also claimed Oliver Hayes, a part-time painter and decorator from Bandon, Co Cork, used Ms Corcoran’s bank cards to take €3,000 from ATMs and used the money to pay bills and go on a skiing holiday to Austria within days of killing his victim.

Hayes, aged 50, from Clancool Terrace, Bandon, Co Cork, has denied the murder of Ms Corcoran on a date between January 19 and January 21, 2009. His offer of a guilty plea to his victim’s manslaughter was not accepted by the DPP.

He has admitted a charge of intentionally or recklessly detaining the 60-year-old widow without her consent on the same dates.

The defendant has also pleaded guilty to five counts of stealing cash totalling €3,000 from his victim and one count of attempted robbery at ATMs in Bandon and Innishannon on dates between January 20-24, 2009.

The opening day of Hayes’ trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin heard Ms Corcoran, who lived alone at an isolated farmhouse at Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain, a few kilometres outside Bandon, had been targeted by Hayes because he believed she had money in her home.

John O’Kelly, prosecuting, said that there was nothing unfortunate or accidental about Ms Corcoran’s death and the accused could not wash his hands of his actions. He described the widow as a small, courageous woman who enjoyed life.

The trial before Mr Justice Paul Carney and the jury continues today.