Accused 'unaware' he was sleeping by baby's body

A former UN sanctions inspector and ex Irish Army Ranger, charged with the murder of an 18-month-old infant, seemed unaware that he was sleeping beside the dead baby's body, the Central Criminal Court heard today.

Mr Hugh Reilly, a cousin of the accused, told the court that he, his wife and the child's parents, were screaming at the accused to wake up when they discovered the baby's body.

The infant's mother, Grainne Murphy had found her baby dead in the sitting room of Mr Reilly's house. The court heard that Ms Murphy, the child's father, Mr Thomas Reilly and the accused, Mr John Reilly, had stayed overnight at Hugh Reilly's house.

Ms Murphy had placed the baby, Oisin Reilly-Murphy, on the sofa before going upstairs to bed. The court heard that Hugh Reilly later moved him onto two armchairs to make room on the sofa for John Reilly to sleep.

In evidence, Ms Murphy said she woke at around 8.30am and went looking for the baby. She did not see him on the sitting room sofa where she had left him the previous night.

When she went in a second time, she looked at the armchair where John Reilly was sleeping and saw the baby lying face down in the crook of the chair.

The accused's jeans were soaked in blood. The armchair was soaked in blood and there was a pool of blood on the floor.

Ms Murphy broke down in the witness box as she described picking her baby up and noticing blood on his face.

"I saw a big cut on the back of his neck" she told the jury.

Asked by Mr Anthony Sammon SC if it was a large wound, Ms Murphy replied: "Yes, it was. It was just like a big hole."

Asked where the accused was at that time, she said "John was still asleep on the chair and he was covered with blood."

Mr Hugh Reilly threw a jug of water over the accused to wake him up, she said. "We were saying 'what happned, what happened?" she told the jury. "Then I think he woke up to what was going on."

The witness said she noticed a sliver bladed knife lying on the floor. She recognised it as having belonged to the accused.

She told the jury that the accused picked up the knife and folded back the blade before throwing it back onto the floor. The court also heard that he punched his fist through the sitting room door then sat down on the stairs sobbing.

In other evidence, Mr Thomas Reilly told the jury that he and the accused grew up in neighbouring homes in Brittas. They were first cousins and the Reillys were a very close knit family.

The court heard that when the accused arrived at Hugh Reilly's house on the evening of the killing, he had drink taken but "was not drunk". He had a couple more drinks in the Reilly house while playing cards. The witness said drank from a glass of Poitin but did not think he finished it.

Cross examined by defence counsel Mr Patrick Marrinan, the witness agreed that there was "no hidden animosity" between him and John Reilly. They had all been on very good terms, he said.

Mr John Reilly (32) of Crooksling, Brittas, Co Dublin has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Oisin Reilly-Murphy at Kiltalown Road, Jobstown, Tallaght, Co Dublin on 5th June 2000

The trial continues on Monday.