‘Good-natured’ texts from murder accused to victim

A murder trial has heard that text messages between the deceased and a man accused of her murder were of good nature in the hours before her body was found.

Darren Murphy, aged 37, of Dan Desmond Villas, Passage West, Co Cork, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Olivia Dunlea, aged 36, at Pembroke Crescent, Passage West on February 17, 2013.

When asked how he was to plead to the charge of murder, Mr Murphy said “not guilty; guilty of manslaughter”. The accused has pleaded guilty to a second charge of arson on the deceased woman’s home on the same date.