Murder trial hears prison phone call between accused

THE jury in the murder trial taking place at the Central Criminal Court heard a recording of a phone call between the two accused yesterday.

Gillian Purcell took a call from her boyfriend John Paul Walsh when he was in Cork Prison in December 2008. The jury heard her say to Walsh: “I didn’t do nothing, I know you did nothing and I don’t know nothing about nothing at the end of the day, you were with me, I was with you.”

At another stage in the recorded conversation, Walsh says: “Listen, no matter what happens, right... I’m sorry for all the shit. He pulled a blade on me I think, like. I had to get it off him. He was smashing around the flat and I don’t know did he bang his head off a chair or something.”

Purcell says: “Don’t worry about it, you’ll be grand, just keep your head down.”

Gillian Purcell, 34, of Simon, Anderson’s Quay, Cork, and formerly of Hollyhill, Cork, and John Walsh, 45, originally from Ballinlough, Cork, and more recently of Cork Street, Mitchelstown, both deny the charge of murdering John McManus on a date between October 28 and November 7, 2008, at flat 1, 3 Verdon Place, Wellington Road, Cork.

Some laughter is heard between the two accused as Walsh asked: “Who owns you? Who owns your bones?” and Purcell replies, “You.”

Purcell then says: “I am after putting on lots of weight.” Walsh says: “It’s good to hear your voice.”

After a brief exchange about phone calls and letters, Walsh says, “Whatever about phone sex did you ever hear of letter sex? Listen, I love you to bits.” Purcell replies: “I love you.”

Late in the six-minute call, he says: “Be wide now with the shades and don’t get taken for anything, will you, for God’s sake.”

About an hour of video recording of Walsh being interviewed by gardaí was also played to the jury yesterday in which Walsh was heard to reply “No comment” to almost every question.

Detective Sergeant Vincent O’Sullivan said: “If you had nothing to do with the death of John McManus you would be shouting back at us trying to vindicate and clear your name, what are you trying to hide from us John?” Walsh replied: “No comment.”

Det Sgt O’Sullivan said: “This was the night John McManus was beaten to death in his flat. What were you doing in the flat at this time?” Walsh replied: “No comment.”

In relation to earlier interviews with Walsh in Tralee Garda Station, defence senior counsel, Blaise O’Carroll, said the defendant was suffering withdrawal symptoms from heroin. Dr Adrian Daly, who saw Walsh in Tralee, testified that he seemed to be lucid at the time and gave what he described as a cogent and detailed account of some of his personal history.

The trial before Mr Justice Paul Carney and the jury of five men and six women will continue today.