Woman denies murdering man found in river

A 37-year-old woman yesterday denied murdering a 27-year-old man whose strangled body with more than 60 wounds was found dead in the Bandon River in Nov 2011.

Catherine O’Connor of Bridge House, Sean Hales Place, Bandon, Co Cork, is charged with the murder of Jonathan Duke, 27, at Bridge House on Nov 13, 2011. She was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork yesterday and pleaded not guilty to the single count on the indictment.

Prosecution senior counsel, Tim O’Leary, outlined the anticipated evidence to come in the trial before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of four men and eight women but stressed that the outline did not itself constitute evidence.