Meath murder trial hears from school principal

The school principal of a teenage mother of two who was stabbed to death outside a supermarket in Co Meath has given evidence on behalf of the defence at the Central Criminal Court.

Morris Daly was giving evidence in the trial of Kelly Noble (aged 21) who has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to the murder of Emma McLoughlin (aged 19), who was stabbed to death outside Pat’s supermarket in Laytown on June 2 last year.

Ms Noble, from Seaview, Laytown, Co Meath, also denies a second charge of unlawfully producing a knife in the course of a dispute or a fight in a manner likely to inflict injury.

Mr Daly told Mr Michael O’Higgins SC, defending, that he had been a principal in Laytown for 33 years.

In October 1998 he said a letter was written to the board of management of the school that stated that the safety of pupils and staff in the school could not be guaranteed as long as Ms McLoughlin remained a pupil.

He told Mr O’Higgins that this was the first occasion on which he had had to write such a letter.

Mr Daly produced a letter of apology that had been written to him in which she apologised for her behaviour in the school and asked for another chance.

He said she had been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) but there were not adequate resources in the school at the time to deal with her problems.

The witness agreed with the judge, Mr Justice Kevin O’Higgins, that Ms McLoughlin had been 12 at the time she wrote the letter.

He said ADHD could be a bit like an erupting volcano but you could never really blame the child for it.

The case has now been adjourned until Tuesday, when the jury of five men and seven women are expected to hear closing speeches from the prosecution and the defence.