Accused told Gardai he could not help investigation

A 16-year-old youth arrested in connection with the murder of a 22 year-old woman in a park in County Cork in 2000 told gardai he could not help their investigation and had nothing to do with the murder.

The accused, who is now 18, has pleaded not guilty to the rape and murder of Ms Rachel Kiely (22) at the Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co Cork on October 26, 2000. He cannot be named for legal reasons.

A Central Criminal Court jury has heard that DNA samples taken from him matched DNA in semen samples recovered from the person of Ms Kiely.

Today, the jury heard that when questioned by Detective Garda Ger O'Callaghan and Det Gda Patrick Dolan in the presence of his parents at Gurranabraher garda station on November 10, 2000, the accused said he had known Rachel Kiely for as long as he could remember but had not seen her "for months" before her death.

He last saw her at the 'Debs', which was held at the end of the previous summer, he said.

When the detectives told him they had forensic material that suggested he "must have seen her" on the day of her death, the accused replied, "I don't understand why they are there."

He told gardai he could not help their investigation into her death and he had "nothing to do with it".

The youth said he was on his motorbike "racing up and down" on a gravel path and rugby pitch in the Regional Park between around 5:20 and 6:15 or 6:20 pm on October 26.

He passed the ruin where later, Rachel Kiely's body was discovered, twice on his bike, he told gardai.

He was down there alone between those times, he agreed.

He named one woman he said he met at around 5:20pm and exchanged a few words with.

He said he also met "an old man" with a dog and a long blue rain jacket.

Cross-examined by Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, Det Garda Ger O'Callaghan said that "for the purposes of the interview", the accused had "co-operated fully."

"He came across as being very cool, very relaxed," the witness said.

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