Witness: Murder accused claimed woman accidently fell into sea

A witness told the Central Criminal Court yesterday the man accused of murdering Sandra Collins 14 years ago told him that she accidentally fell into the sea while he was with her at Killala Pier.

Michael Grenaghan, a civil engineer, told Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury that Martin Earley, aged 49, of Banagher, Carrowmore Lacken, Ballina, stayed with him overnight on March 23, 2011, after ringing him and telling him he was “in trouble”.

Mr Earley, a construction worker, denies murdering Ms Collins, of Courthouse St, Killala, at a place unknown on or about December 4, 2000.

On the 11th day of the trial yesterday at Castlebar Courthouse, Mr Grenaghan gave evidence that when Mr Earley rang him on March 23, 2011, he “sounded very panicky and sounded like he had a few beers”.

The witness continued: “He said I was in trouble and could I help him. It sounded like he was having a few problems with himself and his wife.”

Mr Grenaghan said he collected Mr Earley in Ballycastle and brought him to his (Mr Grenaghan’s) uncle’s house where he was “very stressed” and vomited. He said he told Mr Earley to get his head down for the night and the following morning he went to his bedroom to see if he was all right.

While they were in the bedroom, Mr Earley told him he was “in big trouble” to do with the lady that had gone missing.

Mr Grenaghan said: “I said he needed to go home and sort himself out and go and see the guards.”

He said Mr Earley then told him he had been with Ms Collins on the night she disappeared, that they had gone to the pier in Killala together.

Mr Grenaghan continued: “He said there was an argument and that she fell into the water. She got out of the car apparently very erratically and stepped back away from the car and fell in.”

He said that when asked why he had not jumped in to get Ms Collins out of the water, Mr Earley told him that he could not swim. He also said it was very dark at the time.

Mr Grenaghan said he told the accused he should have rung the guards. He also told him to sort things out with his wife and go to the police station and also to his solicitor.

Cross-examined by Micheál O’Higgins, the witness said Mr Earley struck him as a good father, good with his kids. “I never saw him being violent with anyone”, he went on. He added: “I believe that Martin Earley was telling the truth that she fell in.”

The trial is continuing.