Evidence heard at Poeschel murder trial

A 42-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of a German tourist at the Central Criminal court.

Mr Michael Murphy, of Rathmullan Park, Drogheda, denies murdering 28-year-old Bettina Poeschel at Dunore, Co Meath on an unknown date between September 25 and October 17, 2001.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC told the court that Ms Poeschel was on holidays in Ireland visiting her friend Mr Norbert Sirtl in Dublin.

"She set off to visit Newgrange on the 25 September 2001 and was meant to be flying back to Munich the next morning," said Mr Vaughan Buckley.

He told the jury that Mr Sirtl became concerned when Ms Poeschel didn't return to Dublin that night and raised the alarm when she still hadn't returned the following morning.

The court heard evidence from Mr Peter Byrne of Aer Lingus that Ms Poeschel failed to check in for the 7.30am flight from Dublin to Munich on September 26, 2001.

An extensive Garda search operation ensued with hundreds of people interviewed. Video footage of the victim taking the morning train from Dublin to Drogheda was examined along with CCTV footage of her walking through Drogheda towards Newgrange.

"She was last seen alive walking alone on the road at Dunore by a woman at 11.05am," said Mr Vaughan Buckley.

He told the jury how shortly after midday on October 17, 2001, almost three weeks since her disappearance, Garda Pat Kelly cut through some dense undergrowth and found Ms Poeschel's semi-naked body lying face down in the grass.

She was naked from the waist down, save for a pair of black panties around her knees.

The victim's body was so badly decomposed State Pathologist Professor John Harbison could not ascertain the cause of death, but did not rule out manual strangulation as a possibility, said Mr Vaughan Buckley.

A search of a nearby ditch was carried out and a handbag, a pair of glasses and a purse were found. "Ms Cornelia Poeschel (the victim's sister) confirmed it was the handbag of the deceased on the day she met her death, the prosecution will contend," he said.

"A mobile phone was found in a skip near portacabins where road works were being carried out. This was also similar to the phone of Bettina Poeschel," the prosecution added.

The jury heard how examination of another skip at a graveyard in Dunore revealed a pair of red shoes and trousers, both identified by the deceased's sister as belonging to Bettina.

The accused, Mr Michael Murphy, was arrested and charged with the murder of Ms Poeschel on October 27, 2001.

Mr Vaughan Buckley said that Mr Murphy had been working on some roadworks in Dunore at the time of Ms Poeschel's death. He told them Mr Murphy had an arrangement whereby he was paid to pick up three Latvian men each morning and bring them to work.

He told them one of the Latvians "will tell you that on that day, Michael did not come in for the 10am or 1pm break". He said another worker would tell how Mr Murphy was seen "heading off towards Newgrange" that day and "would be gone for an hour" at a time.

He told the jury they would hear evidence from another worker that Mr Murphy was seen "coming out from the toilets with a white plastic bag" and allegedly said it was "bleach to clean the dog kennels".

Mr Vaughan Buckley went on to say that the pathologist's report revealed that there was a strong smell of a substance like Jeyes Fluid on the victim's underwear and gortex jacket.

Forensic testing of the clothes confirmed there was "strong support" that the substance smelled on Ms Poeschel's clothes "was Jeyes Fluid" the prosecution contended.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Aindrias O'Caoimh and a jury of seven men and five women.