Murder accused claims partner waved knife at her during dispute

A woman charged with murdering her “on and off” partner told gardaí she was defending herself after he had waved a knife at her, her trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard.

Norma Phillips, aged 46, a Zimbabwean national with an address on the Phibsboro Rd, Phibsboro, Dublin 7, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Romania national Stefan Neanu, 36, on April 12, 2015, at her former home on Phibsboro Rd.

Detective Garda Martin McInerney yesterday told Denis Vaughan Buckley, prosecuting, that he interviewed Ms Phillips at Mountjoy Garda Station on April 12, 2015.

Det Garda McInerney agreed with Mr Buckley that Ms Phillips told him they were in a relationship, but it was “on and off”.

“To me it was companionship; to him it was boyfriend and girlfriend,” she said.

In a later interview with Det Garda Kevin Keys, she said she had known Mr Neanu for about four months and that their relationship was “intimate, sexual, and friendship”. She said she was also in a relationship with another man.

On April 12, 2015, she and Mr Neanu called to his aunt’s house nearby.

There was a party going on but then Mr Neanu began arguing with his aunt so they decided to leave.

Back at Ms Phillips’ home, they started arguing but she could not remember what about.

She told gardaí she was tired and went to bed, telling Mr Neanu to sleep in one of the spare bedrooms. She awoke some time later and heard him calling her name.

She got up and told him to go to bed, but then, she said, he went to the kitchen upstairs and returned with a knife.

“He waved it at me. He had never done that before,” she said. “I thought he was going to hurt me.”

She said she “pushed” him away or “blocked him” but did not realise she had hurt him until she saw him fall to the ground.

Det Garda Keys said she demonstrated with a pen that Mr Neanu was pointing the knife at her and she pushed it away, saying “that is when it hits his chest”.

She called 999. “I tried to save him,” she said.

The jury heard a recording of a 999 call made at that time. Stenographer Patricia Myler told Mr Buckley that she typed a transcript of the call for gardaí, which was read to the court.

She agreed the caller said “someone stabbed him and I don’t know what to do”.

The caller said she was panicking and was also overheard telling Mr Neanu “please wake up” and “Are you OK, can you breathe? Wake up, I love you.”

The trial continues.