Murder accused told victim’s ex she smashed his head in, court hears

A WOMAN on trial for murdering a man known as “Gold-tooth” allegedly told the victim’s ex-partner she smashed his head in with a mallet, claiming she did it for her.

And, according to a prosecution witness, the accused woman had also stated: “Where a bad man stands, a tree should be planted.”

The claims emerged on the second day of the trial yesterday but disputed by the defence’s senior counsel.

Una Geaney, 45, of Mullinagleamig, Dingle, Co Kerry, and originally from Fermoy, Co Cork, denies at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Cork, a charge of murdering Gary Bull, 37, at Shanlaragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, on September 23, 2007.

Mr Bull was known by the nickname Gold-tooth. His former partner Clare Freeman broke up with him a month before his death, because he was having an affair.

Ms Freeman yesterday testified that she and three others that Sunday were pushed into a bedroom and were unable to open the door. She feared for Mr Bull’s safety and texted a friend to call for an ambulance.

Prosecution senior counsel Tom Creed asked the witness if Una Geaney said anything when she (Ms Freeman) got out of the bedroom.

“She (Una Geaney) said it is too late, he’s dead… she had a mallet in her hands that she put into the fire and a pair of jeans and some clothes. She said he is in the slurry pit.

“She said: ‘I did it for you, Clare’.

“She said she had smashed his head in with a mallet,” Ms Freeman testified.

The witness said that Amanda McNabb claimed to have stabbed Mr Bull. Ms Freeman said McNabb and Geaney both appeared very calm and unremorseful.

“Una Geaney said to Amanda, ‘Hurry up, you know what to do, you’ve done this before’ as they were washing blood off their hands. She (Geaney) said: ‘Where a bad man stands a tree should be planted’.

“I tried to run away. There was blood on the wall behind a kitchen table. Una was scrubbing blood off the wall,” Ms Freeman said.

Returning to the scene the following day, the witness said Amanda McNabb took her up to a slurry pit. “She just wanted me to look in it,” Ms Freeman said.

Ciarán O’Loughlin senior counsel suggested Ms Freeman had so much to drink she was completely wrong about her account of what happened and what Geaney allegedly said. Ms Freeman said she was not that drunk.

Mr O’Loughlin continued: “What actually happened is that Jay the Hat (Jason Thomas) attacked Mr Bull. You don’t know because you weren’t there.”

Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster testified the deceased had very extensive fractures and died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head due consistent with having suffered multiple blows from a blunt weapon.

Dr Bolster said the injuries could have been inflicted with a mallet or something like a leg of a chair. The pathologist found defensive wounds to the deceased’s arms Dr Bolster also said Mr Bull was dead before his body was put into the slurry pit.

The trial continues today.