Accused's friends give evidence in murder trial

A group of friends gave evidence at the Central Criminal Court today that a young man accused of murder and rape was acting "normally" on the night a 22-year-old year woman was found dead in a parkland in Co Cork in 2000.

The four young men were giving evidence at the trial of an 18-year-old Cork man accused of the murder of 22-year-old Rachel Kiely at Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co Cork on 26 October 2000.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has denied the charge and a second charge of rape on the same occasion.

The court heard from the witnesses that they all met up in a friend's house to watch telly at around 6.30pm on the night of Ms Kiely's death.

Ms Kiely went missing in the park earlier that evening and her mother began to search for her after 6pm when the two family dogs returned without Ms Kiely.

Mr Luke Mansfield said the accused was "just the same, watching telly in the sitting room and chatting away".

The group then went to Regional Park to drive their motorbikes until they became aware of the gardai in the area.

When asked by Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC for the defence if the accused looked like someone who'd just murdered someone, Mr Mansfield said: "I wouldn't know by looking at someone if they'd murdered someone".

He agreed with counsel that the accused didn't seem nervous, jumpy or in any way twitching.

Mr Mansfield told the court that shortly after Ms Kiely's death the accused told him that he had been drinking in the ruins where Ms Kiely's body was found with his girlfriend two weeks previously.

"They were drinking vodka and they left a coke bottle down there, he was just worried in case the gardai would find it as they were down there looking around," he said.

Mr Eugene Hallihan gave evidence that all of the group were in shock" when they heard the news of the woman's death. When asked how the accused was acting on that evening he said, "he seemed grand, he seemed normal, nothing seemed out of the ordinary".

Two other friends of the accused who lived close to him for many years told the court that they didn't notice the accused acting in any way strange on the evening in question.

"I know him well... he was the usual, he was grand, there was nothing different really," Mr Anthony McCullagh said in evidence.

"Everybody was really shocked, we were all nervous because of the fact that we were down in the park," he said.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Paul Butler and a jury.