Cork accused denies ever striking his wife

A detective interviewing a man charged with a serious assault on his wife accused him of beating her within an inch of her life, but he denied this and said he never hit her.

These exchanges were contained in a memo of interview Detective Garda Thomas O’Sullivan had with Anthony Kelleher, which was read to the jury at his trial yesterday.

Mr Kelleher, aged 42, denies a charge of assaulting his wife Siobhán Kelleher causing her serious harm at the family home in Curraheen, Raleigh North, Macroom, Co Cork, on June 12, 2014.

“Siobhán was beaten to within an inch of her life by you,” the detective said.

Mr Kelleher replied: “I didn’t do it.”

“Are you aware her injuries are going to be lifelong injuries?” Detective Garda O’Sullivan asked him in an interview eight months after the disputed incident.

Mr Kelleher replied: “I was told she was making a good recovery.”

“Did you drag her by the ponytail out on to the landing?” he was asked.

Mr Kelleher replied: “No.”

“Did you ever hit her?” he was asked, and replied, “No.”

“Did you ever kick her?” he was asked, and said, “No.”

“Did you throw her down the stairs?” the detective asked.

Mr Kelleher said: “No.”

He denied ever putting her in fear or saying to his wife during a hospital visit that if she went to the gardaí, he would — among other alleged threats — kill himself.

During his interview, he said his wife used to hide drink around the house, and that she used to be falling around the place after drinking.

He said it became the new norm and he felt very disappointed.

He said he never lost his temper and never became physical in a row with his wife.

Mr Kelleher said he told the ambulance service his wife had fallen down the stairs. Asked why he thought she fell, he said she was disoriented from smoking cigarettes.

Detective Garda O’Sullivan asked the accused during an interview how he would describe his wife in terms of being truthful or lying and he replied, “It depends.”

The detective said Ms Kelleher had numerous old healing fractures.

The accused said his wife had complained previously of pain in her side and he had taken her to the doctor.

The jury had a transcript read to them by Siobhán Lankford, prosecuting, of the conversation the accused had with the person who took the emergency phone call on the night of June 12, 2014.

“My wife fell downstairs. She seems to be breathing very heavily or something I don’t know. [Asked what caused the fall.] Drink. She has a gash to the side of her head. There is bruising. She has her tongue between her teeth. Bruising on her body as well. She has had a couple of falls.

“Oh my God lads, I hope she’ll be alright now. I can’t believe this,” he said, during the phone call.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin told the jury to return to Cork Circuit Criminal Court today for medical evidence in the case.