MURDERER

A CO Cork painter has been found guilty of murdering 60-year-old widow Ann Corcoran after abducting her from her farmhouse during a robbery.

The jury of five women and seven men reached a majority verdict of 10 to 2 after three hours and 41 minutes of deliberating at the Central Criminal Court.

Oliver Hayes, aged 49, of Clancool Terrace, Bandon, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but denied murdering her between January 19 and 21, 2009. Hayes admitted falsely imprisoning her in his home and stealing €3,000 from her bank account following her death.

The 11-day trial heard that Hayes was in debt and decided to rob Ms Corcoran because she was “a woman on her own” in a big farmhouse and he thought she would have money.

After the verdict was read out, Detective Garda Jim Fitzgerald outlined the killer’s eight previous convictions, which included burglary of an 84-year- old’s home, assault with intent to rob, and theft. He was not jailed for previous crimes.

The detective explained that on one occasion, Hayes went to a woman’s house on the pretence of needing water for his car. He produced a knife but a neighbour heard her scream and disturbed him.

Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded Hayes in custody for sentencing at Cork Courthouse on Wednesday.

About 4.30pm on Monday, January 19, last year, Oliver Hayes set off on a five-mile walk from Bandon to Ann Corcorcan’s farmhouse in Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain.

While he was stalking the house, the widow drove off in her car. When she opened the door on her return, he grabbed her, tied her hands together and demanded money. When she said it was in the bank, he demanded her bank card and PIN number.

She wouldn’t hand them over so he put her in the boot of her car and drove around for an hour, stopping four times to demand the card, retie her hands and tie her legs with her dog lead. He then took her to his house, where he tied her more securely and gagged her.

Ms Corcoran eventually gave him her PIN and told him where he’d find the bank card. Hayes decided to knock the woman out so she wouldn’t raise the alarm while he was gone. He beat her over the head with a stick but when this didn’t work, he used a counter top.

He returned to her house and stole her bank cards. He claimed she was unconscious when he returned, but died by morning.

He continued with his life as normal, visiting his girlfriend every morning and attending his camera club on the Wednesday night while the widow’s body lay in his house.

He burned her body on the Thursday night and buried it in woodlands before going to her house to feed her dogs. He became emotional as he said he couldn’t bear to think of them suffering. It was the sight of their faeces throughout her well-kept home, which alerted a man painting outside that all was not well.

Hayes went to a 25th wedding anniversary on the Friday night and the next day went on a skiing trip to Austria. He had withdrawn the maximum amount of cash from the widow’s account on each of the five days between murdering her and going on holiday.

His victim was reported missing while he was gone and her irregular bank transactions led gardaí to view CCTV of a man withdrawing her cash.

Hayes was identified by his distinctive walk and damaged van but continued to deny his involvement even after the footage was put to him.

He eventually admitted the killing but claimed he didn’t intend it.