Mulhall sister aware of assaults

The trial of two sisters accused of murdering a Kenyan man has heard that their mother who was going out with him had attended a number of hospitals with a history of assault.

The court has heard that one of the accused Charlotte Mulhall from Tallaght was aware that her mother was suffering at the hands of the dead man Farah Swaleh Noor.

23-year-old Charlotte and 31-year-old Lindsay deny murdering 38-year-old whose dismembered body was found in the Royal Canal in March last year.

Detective sergeant Gerry McDonnell confirmed to the court that Charlotte Mulhall was fully aware of Farah Swaleh Noors violent behaviour towards her mother Kathleen.

Lawyers for Charlotte said she had even been in contact with an ex-girlfriend of the Kenyan man seeking advice on her situation---the detective also confirmed that Kathleen had been out of the jurisdiction for some time.

The court also heard that Charlotte told gardaí on the night in question that the dead man had grabbed her sister and co-accused Linda by the arm referring to them as "creatures of the night".

Garda Cliona Byrne gave evidence of Kathleen Mulhall attending a number of hospitals in Cork and one in Dublin presenting with injuries consistent with a history of assault.