Murdered wife was 'besotted' with younger lover

The trial of a man accused of murdering his wife ten years ago has heard that the dead woman was besotted with her younger lover, the Central Criminal Court heard.

John Diver, Kilnamanagh Road, Walkinstown, Dublin denies murdering his wife Geraldine at Robinhood Road, Clondalkin on December 2, 1996.

Ms Diver, who worked at the Coombe Women’s Hospital, was found, with a tie around her neck, in the front seat of her car outside a builder’s providers around 10.40pm on December 2.

On the seventh day of the trial at the Central Criminal Court today Pauline Harty, a close friend and work colleague of Geraldine Diver said that Geraldine used to confide in her about many things.

The witness said that Geraldine was not happy in her marriage but, “stayed with John for the sake of the children.”

Ms Harty said, in response to prosecution counsel Mr Edward Comyn SC, that Geraldine used to refer to her lover “my wonderful Ray.”

She met Roche, a butcher at a Supermarket, in September 96, and within a short period of time Geraldine told her that she was “in love with him.”

Roche was 28, while Geraldine was 42 years of age.

By November Geraldine spoke to her about leaving her family and “having a baby with Roche.”

Geraldine and Ray Roche also spent a weekend away together in Sligo.

All this, the witness said, shocked her.

She also knew Geraldine’s husband John, who had also worked at the Coombe.

Ms Harty described the accused as “a hard worker,” but that he had “a short fuse”.

The witness added that Geraldine had told John Diver she was leaving him.

Ms Harty said that John did not want a separation, and offered to go into counselling, but Geraldine “was having none of it.”

The witness said that she had a conversation, when they were both on a tea break, with Geraldine Diver the day she died.

She told her that she was going “straight up to Ray,” after she finished working that evening, but felt that her plans could have changed in between the time they last spoke and when Mrs Dicer finished work around 9.15pm that night.

She also noticed that Geraldine had removed her wedding ring.

The day after Mrs Diver’s body was found she went to see Ray Roche.

She told a very upset Roche what had happened, and advised him to go to the Gardaí.

Under cross-examination from defence Counsel Mr Brendan Grehan SC, she agreed that Geraldine had, “made all the running” and was “very possessive” in regards to Mr Roche.

They had even gone to Naas to look at houses together.

The witness agreed that after Geraldine started seeing Ray she started dressing more casually than before.

Geraldine Diver’s solicitor, Mr Muirdeach Doherty said in his evidence that she had come to him seeking advice about a legal separation in November 1996.

Initially, the witness said, Mrs Diver was happy that her husband could be the sole resident of the family home and that they would have joint custody of their two children.

This was included in a draft agreement, which he drew up.

However about a week later he said that a “very angry” Geraldine Diver returned to see him to say that she wanted some “drastic changes” made to the agreement.

She wanted to sell the house, and split the proceeds, and that the children would reside with her.

Mrs Diver told him that she wanted the agreement changed as a result of her son having an asthmatic attack.

Mrs Diver claimed to him that this had been brought on as a result of her husband John “running her down” in front of the children, after she had been away for the weekend.

The amended draft was sent to Mrs Diver, but was never sent to neither Mr Diver nor his legal representatives.

Overall he felt that Mrs Diver was “a bit dreamy” in terms of the practicalities of the separation.

He said that his impression was that Geraldine wanted to “get away from her husband.”

The witness said he never got the impression that Mrs Diver was in fear of her husband.

The case, which is being heard in front of Mr Justice Philip O’Sullivan, continues.