Two on trial for murder of man dumped in bog

A woman whose former partner and brother are accused of murdering a 28-year-old Brazilian man told a court yesterday the victim had said she had “a sexy voice and was probably hot’’.

The Central Criminal Court, sitting in Tralee, Co Kerry, heard that the body of Bruno Lemes de Sousa, who had been living in Gort, Co Galway, was found floating in a bog in North Kerry on Mar 11, 2012.

John Paul Cawley, aged 20, and Wenio Rodriguez da Silva, aged 29, both with an address at 2 Ardoughter, Ballyduff, Co Kerry, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr de Sousa between Feb 16 and Mar 10 last year, at Shroneowen Bog, Tullamore, Listowel.

Opening the case, prosecuting counsel Conor Devally said there would be evidence that the victim was stabbed repeatedly after he had been struck with a blunt instrument, with his body later ditched into a bog hole.

In evidence, Sandra Cawley, a sister of John Paul Cawley, said she had been living at 2 Ardoughter, Ballyduff, with her two children and her then partner, Mr da Silva.

She recalled a day she was getting phonecalls from Bruno Lemes, who came to the house that evening with Mr da Silva, who had been working on a farm that day. Mr da Silva had previously said somebody was coming to sell a car.

Ms Cawley said Mr da Silva and Mr de Sousa had a conversation in Portuguese in the kitchen. At one point, when Mr da Silva had left the kitchen, she went in and spoke to Mr de Sousa.

She said she got butterflies when he said his name was Bruno, as Mr da Silva told her before that Mr de Sousa had said her voice was sexy and that she was probably hot. Later, she asked Mr da Silva why Mr de Sousa was there and he said because he was going to beat him up.

After some time, she said she heard a thud and a loud noise. She went out and saw Mr Cawley, Mr da Silva, and Mr de Sousa in the laundry room. Mr de Sousa, with his hands over his head, ducked down and Mr da Silva had a bar in his hand.

She claimed Mr de Sousa asked her to call the gardai, while Mr da Silva told her to get out. She said she heard two more loud noises and later met the three men and her other brother, Charlie, on the stairs. Mr da Silva was leading Mr de Sousa by a rope and he had his hands tied together.

Later, Mr da Silva asked her for her phone and she claimed that when he returned it she saw two pictures of Mr de Sousa on it with his hands and legs tied together.

Garda photographer Det Owen Conway told of the going to the bog on Mar 12, 2012, and seeing a male body in the water. The hands were tied at the front with orange twine.

He also visited the dormer house at 2 Ardoughter and found blood marks on a ladder and on timber beside the light switch in the attic.

Det Conway also said the Garda water unit recovered a knife from the Cashen River, near Ballyduff.

The trial, expected to take at least two weeks, continues before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and a jury.