Murder accused breaks down in court

A Nigerian man accused of beating his wife to death with a lump hammer broke down in the witness stand today and denied that he had killed her.

He said he came back from England because he wanted justice for his wife and children and was “gobsmacked” when he was told he was wanted for her murder.

Goodwill Udechukwu, with a previous address at Royal Canal Bank, Royal Canal View, denies murdering mother-of-two Natasha Gray (aged 25) on February 18, 2003 at that address.

During his evidence today the accused told his counsel Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC that the last time he had contact with his wife was when she rang him as he was on a bus leaving for England.

He said in August 2005 when he was told by the English police that he was wanted for murder: “I was gobsmacked. I said that can’t be.”

He said at first he thought they were saying something funny and just wanted to deport him.

At Bow Street Magistrates Court he said he was “kind of happy” to be going back to Dublin because he thought he would meet his wife again.

He told Mr O’Carroll that he agreed to his extradition because he was innocent and he hoped to help the State with their investigation.

He then broke down in the witness box and said: “Because I am black, because I have no father because I have nobody I came back to bring justice for my wife and my children.”

As he began crying loudly the jury were asked to leave for a short time.

The accused later insisted that he had not killed his wife whom he loved and had a good relationship with.

“Absolutely not. I have no reason whatsoever to do such a thing. We were very happy together. She mean a lot to me. Why would I do that?” he asked.

He claimed the gardaí wanted to convict him “at all cost” and that the people who committed the crime “have managed to deceive you for all these years".

In earlier evidence led by the prosecution a worker at a hardware store described selling a lump hammer and an axe to a black man on the day before Ms Gray was killed.

A picture taken from video footage at the hardware store that day was later shown to the deceased's brother-in-law Ian Curtis who identified it as being Mr Udechukwu.

Peter Foran said on February 17, 2003 a black man who had broken English said he was looking for a hammer.

The witness said he showed this man a number of claw hammers, which were quite expensive.

When the man asked if there was anything cheaper he showed him a Chinese claw hammer, which was lighter with a “really cheap head".

The man then asked if there was anything heavier and he was shown a lump hammer for €5 which he held before saying he would take it. Mr Foran said the man then asked for an axe priced €5.50.

He said he rounded the price down and sold him both items for €10. Asked about the CCTV footage from the shop the accused denied it was of him.

“No I can see that person is wearing something like a sports shirt,” he said.

He said he dressed as a professional and that people who wore that type of clothing were Guy Mboze who is Ms Gray’s former partner and his friends.

The accused is due to continue his evidence tomorrow in the trial presided over by Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins.