Murder accused gave us details of scene, says witness

A MURDER trial witness testified that the accused woman told him in graphic detail that she hit the victim with a mallet, that his head opened up and that a dog licked the blood from the kitchen floor.

Una Geaney, aged 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, aged 37, at Shanlaragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, on September 23, 2007.

On the third day of the trial yesterday, witness Peter Donohoe testified to meeting Geaney and Amanda McNabb on September 24, 2007 and he said they told him about killing Mr Bull.

“Una said she hit him with some kind of mallet and there was some lads and they hit him first. They knocked him out. Una and Amanda tried to resuscitate him but when he came around he verbally abused them. They started to fight with him,” Mr Donohoe said.

“She (Geaney) hit him with a mallet, Amanda stabbed him. She was telling me and Amanda was agreeing with everything.

“It had opened up, I think they were in the kitchen. Blood was on the kitchen floor. She went into graphic detail about blood on the floor and the dog licked it or something like that, it was a bit sick but anyway. And he was dead.”

Defence senior counsel Ciarán O’Loughlin put it to the witness that he was wrong about his recall of what Geaney allegedly said and that he had been drinking heavily.

Mr Donohoe said he had no reason to give anything other than correct evidence of what Geaney said to him. He added that the accused told him: “His (the deceased’s) brain opened up on the kitchen floor.”

Mr O’Loughlin said other witnesses said Mr Bull was assaulted outside the house. Mr Donohoe said he could only say what Geaney told him.

“Una said herself and Amanda dragged the body out of the house, as far as I can remember. It was Una that was talking to me…

“They tried to get rid of some ID he had by throwing it in the fire. They dragged his body to a slurry pit. I said would you not go to the guards if he was that violent and abusive to you. They didn’t want to know. I was asked that morning did I want to make a few bob in moving the body and I said, no, I’d be done for it. I think they wanted to dig a hole and bury the body. They were talking about throwing battery acid on it to get rid of the body.”

Sergeant Michael Lyons said Geaney rang him on October 12 and arranged to meet him when she was arrested and questioned.

John Kearns from Fermoy testified earlier that he saw Jay the Hat, the nickname for Jason Thomas, holding a mallet over his head as Mr Bull lay on the ground at his feet outside the house in Shanlaragh. Mr Kearns said Jay the Hat was smiling and saying: “I can’t believe he is still breathing.”

Mr O’Loughlin asked: “When Jay the Hat was standing over Mr Bull was there anyone else within striking distance of Gary Bull.” Mr Kearns replied: “No.”

The trial continues today before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of eight men and four women.