Accused claimed he 'drank blood', court hears

The sister of a Jamaican woman allegedly beaten to death by her husband with a lump hammer has said that during an argument with the accused, he said he was going to kill her and drink her blood.

She said the accused told her he drank blood in Nigeria and in court she called him a “thief, a liar and a serial killer.”

Nicola Curtis was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court in the trial of Goodwill Udehukwu (aged 32) with a previous address at Royal Canal View, Royal Canal Bank, Phibsboro who denies the murder of his wife Natasha Gray (aged 25) at the same address on February 18, 2003.

The body of the mother-of-two was found in a baby's cot after the prosecution say she was attacked with a lump hammer by the accused.

Asked by Pieter Le Vert BL (with Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC), defending, about two wedding rings Mr Udechukwu said had arrived from Nigeria ahead of his wedding to Ms Gray the witness said: “I know they did not arrive from Nigeria.”

She then said: “He’s a liar, a thief and a serial killer.”

When Mr Le Vert put it to her that her sister had married him anyway, she replied: “She always planned to run away but she never wanted to leave her children.”

She added: “She decided to do something and that’s when he murdered her.”

She said she had warned her sister that one day they would find her dead. She said she had had a number of arguments with the accused and said: “One day he say he going to kill me and drink the blood. He told me from his mouth he drank blood in Nigeria. That’s why I said he’s a serial killer.”

Mr Le Vert then put it to her that she had not said this “vivid detail” to the gardaí during eleven interviews between the day her sister was killed and April 21, 2003.

Asked if anyone else in the house could have overheard this comment she said: “I don’t know, you can ask them.”

During her evidence to the prosecution yesterday about the moment she discovered her sister’s body, Mrs Curtis became tearful and the court was adjourned for a brief time.

Later she agreed with Ms Pauline Walley that when she saw her sister in the cot she couldn’t see her breathing. She said she had shaken her foot but there was no response.

The trial continues tomorrow before Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins.