Victim tried to get barring order, court hears

A Jamaican woman allegedly bludgeoned to death with a lump hammer by her Nigerian husband was advised to get a barring order on the day she died, a solicitor has told the Central Criminal Court today.

Mary O’Reilly of FH O’Reilly solicitors was giving evidence in the trial of Goodwill Udechukwu (aged 32) with a previous address at Royal Canal View, Royal Canal Bank, Phibsboro who denies the murder of mother-of-two Natasha Gray (aged 25) at the same address on February 18, 2003.

Ms O’Reilly said Natasha Gray contacted her in a distressed state on the morning of February 18 at around 10.30am.

Ms O’Reilly told Ms Pauline Walley SC: “She was distressed. That’s why I did see her. I wouldn’t normally see someone without an appointment.”

She said Ms Gray had contacted her about a family law matter and during their consultation she advised her to get a protection order, or a barring order if possible.

The witness said she sent out letters that day to the accused and to a barrister who deals with family law. She also said she sent copies of these in the post to Ms Gray.

She said she had written to the barrister because she felt the matter was urgent and she thought an application could be made to the Circuit Court.

Mr Pieter Le Vert BL (with Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC) defending, put it to Ms O ’Reilly that she had no way of knowing whether the person who came to see her was Natasha Gray and he asked if she had asked for identification.

She said she had not taken very complete details that day as she was planning to meet with Ms Gray again. She said she heard that afternoon that a young woman had been killed and asked her secretary to ring a mobile number that had been supplied to her by the woman she met. She said the phone went on to answer machine.

The victim’s former partner Guy Mboze also took the witness stand today and denied that it was him rather than the accused who killed Ms Gray.

He told Ms Walley that he had been in a relationship with the victim after meeting her in 1998 but this had deteriorated in the summer of 2001.

They had a young son together and the witness admitted he had been involved in family law proceedings with Ms Gray over access and maintenance and that she had taken a barring order out against him.

He said he had collected his son from Ms Gray on two occasions in the week before she was killed and returned him to the flat on the day she died, where he said he was met at the outer door of the apartment by another witness Sharon Facey.

He denied he had gone upstairs to the apartment that day. Under cross-examination Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC, defending, told the witness: “I formally put it to you that you and Sharon Facey were involved in the demise of Natasha Gray.”

The witness replied: “I’m not involved.”

He also denied that his companions were involved and that the reason for Ms Gray’s demise was that he was not prepared to allow the son he had with her to leave the country with the accused.

He denied this was the case and said there was a court order preventing his son form leaving the country.

He also denied he had been in a relationship with Sharon Facey. Ms Facey returned briefly to the witness stand yesterday where she also denied any involvement in Ms Gray’s killing.

She told Mr O’Carroll: “You’re client murdered Natasha. He’s making up lies to get out of it but God in heaven see what he does.”

She also denied she had been in a relationship with Mr Mboze.

“Why would I have to take Natasha’s two men, that’s a stupid silly question,” she said.

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