Man pleads not guilty to murder

The jury at the murder trial in Cork were shown a video today of the accused man telling gardaí that he stabbed Patrick Walsh, punched him twice and then stabbed him again.

Frank Cunningham, aged 20, from 71 Bridevalley View, Fairhill, Cork, has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering Patrick Walsh at the deceased’s home at 62 Fair Hill Drive, Cork, and robbery of cash from the late Mr Walsh in May last year.

The detective asked on the video: “Do you think Pa was dead before you left the room?”

Cunningham said: “Yeah”.

He was asked why he thought that. “ Because you could hear him choking to death and everything. Blood was just gushing out of him. I knew he was dead. Will you get breakfast for me?” he asked.

The detective said, “We will get breakfast for you now in a minute.” The interview was conducted at Gurranabraher Garda Station from 8.21 a.m. on the morning or June 1 2004.

At the Central Criminal Court in Cork, Ciaran O’Loughlin senior counsel for the defence challenged Det. Garda David O’Callaghan in relation to the interview during cross-examination.

“He was very much the worse for wear from drug abuse. Did you not see he was out of his head? He was yawning. His speech was slurred,” Mr O’Loughlin suggested.

The detective replied: “At no stage did I feel he was not paying attention or was out of it. I thought he was completely aware of what was going on… He did yawn a number of times. I wouldn’t say his voice was slurred. He was out of his cell at eight. He was given time to wash. He was given a cigarette and a cup of tea.” The interview concluded at 9.30 a.m..

Mr O’Loughlin said: “The gardaí are of the view that a number of people were involved in this attack on Mr Walsh?”

Det. Garda O’Callaghan said: “That would be correct. That is the view.”

Asked why he did not challenge Cunningham’s statement that he was on his own in Patrick Walsh’s room at the time of the attack, the detective said he was simply noting the replies given by the accused.

Mr O’Loughlin said that the defendant also referred to slitting Mr Walsh’s throat but that the evidence from assistant State pathologist, Margaret Bolster, was of multiple stab wounds and not a slitting of the throat.

At the end of the interview before Cunningham signed the memo, he added: “I am sorry for the family. I had no intention of killing him, it just went out of hand. If the family wants to they can kill me now this minute or else I am going to kill myself.”