Murder accused’s palm print found in victim’s flat, jury told
This was the evidence given to the jury on the 19th day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork yesterday.
Detective Garda Chris O’Connor, a fingerprint expert, said he examined a broken brush handle found at the deceased man John McManus’s flat.
He testified there were very faint marks in blood on the broken handle, which was less than a metre long.
He compared the palm print on the brush with a photograph of the accused woman’s right palm print. Det Garda O’Connor said he was quite satisfied the palm print on the brush was made by Gillian Purcell’s right palm.
Palm prints in blood found in two places on walls in the flat and on the deceased’s bed matched those of co-accused, John Paul Walsh, the detective said.
Walsh, 45, originally from Ballinlough, Cork, and more recently of Cork Street, Mitchelstown, and Gillian Purcell, 34, of Simon, Anderson’s Quay, Cork, and formerly of Hollyhill, Cork, both deny the charge of murdering John McManus on a date unknown between October 28 and November 7, 2008 at flat 1, 3 Verdon Place, Wellington Road, Cork.
The jury have been watching video recordings of Walsh being interviewed at Mayfield Garda Station.
Yesterday, they saw for the first time Purcell being interviewed at Gurranabraher Garda Station following her arrest for murder.
She requested to speak to her solicitor, Frank Buttimer, before this interview.
Inspector Eileen Foster explained, in the recorded interview, that she had been arrested for the murder of John McManus and asked her if she understood.
Purcell replied, “No comment.”
“You have spoken to your solicitor this morning, is that correct?”
“No comment,” she said.
Later in the interview when it was again explained that she was arrested because, “We believe you were involved in the murder of John McManus.”
She replied, “Oh Jesus merciful God.”
Purcell said she had previously given the hair, mouth-swab, fingerprints and blood samples the gardaí wanted and she wasn’t refusing anything in the interview but she was replying, ‘no comment’ because her solicitor told her to do that.
“I have been very co-operative but I don’t like being confused. I don’t like the way you caught me out before. Why are you playing games?” she asked.
Inspector Foster said she was not playing games but the interview would not be constantly interrupted because Purcell was looking for a solicitor. The inspector told Purcell she had seen her solicitor and the gardaí were complying with their duty to ensure she had access to her solicitor.
Purcell said: “You are playing games and I don’t like it. This is a fucking murder case. I willingly want to help. She (the inspector) is making me not want to help, that is not fair. (Purcell cried on the tape) I’m not being a baby now. But I don’t like being wronged. I don’t want to get prejudiced.
“I want to speak to my solicitor, I am getting confused over a stupid little thing (consent to give prints etc). I don’t want to land myself in a problem because I wasn’t clever enough.”
As notes of this part of the interview were being read over to her by Detective Garda Maurice Hickey, Purcell blessed herself and said: “I’m saying my prayers.”
The trial before will not resume until Wednesday, November 24.
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