'Murdered O'Reilly was struck a number of times': Pathologist

Rachel O'Reilly tried to defend herself as she was struck on the head a number of times suffering a fractured skull which caused her death, a murder trial jury heard today.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy told the jury at the Central Criminal Court that Rachel died from head injuries. "She had been struck several times on the head fracturing her skull.''

It was the sixth day of the trial of Joe O'Reilly (aged 35) of Lambay View, Baldarragh, The Naul, Co Dublin who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rachel O'Reilly, his 30 year-old wife and mother of their two children at the family home on October 4 2004.

Dr Cassidy said that Rachel had eight lacerations on the top and back of her head. "These could be caused by a minimum of four separate blows or up to nine separate blows.''

She said that injuries to the forehead indicated that Rachel could have been standing upright when she was struck.

She said that the injuries to the back of the head and below the right ear were consistent with the fracture of the skull and indicated that they were due to forceful and heavy blows from a weapon.

"These would have been caused when she was on the ground,'' she added. She said the left side of her head would have been on the ground while the blows were struck to the right side of her head.

She said that the injuries behind the ear would have rendered her unconscious and she added "while unconscious she would have inhaled blood.''

"She appeared to have made some attempt to defend herself as there were injuries to her arms as she attempted to avoid the blows,'' she added.

Dr Cassidy said that Rachel may have tried to elude her attacker. "The head injuries would not have caused immediate death and she could have lain unconscious for some hours prior to her dying,'' she added.