O'Reilly's car pictured near home on morning of Rachel's death

CCTV footage shows a car matching the description of Joe O'Reilly's Fiat Marea near the O'Reilly home on the morning of the murder, a jury in the Central Criminal Court heard today.

It was the 16th day of the trial of Mr O'Reilly (aged 35) of Lambay View, Baldarragh, Naul, Co Dublin who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his 30-year-old wife, Rachel O'Reilly, at the family home on October 4 2004.

Det Gda Sean Fitzpatrick told prosecuting counsel Mr Dominic McGinn BL that he spent 'weeks' viewing 119 separate pieces of CCTV footage from around the city centre and north Co Dublin.

He said he did this to see whether Mr O'Reilly or a car matching the description of his navy-coloured Fiat Marea estate, could be seen at various places during the day of the murder.

He said a camera placed at the entrance to Murphy's Quarry, down the road from the O'Reilly home, primarily covered the site entrance, but also showed some of the public road, where vehicles could be seen travelling past.

The O'Reilly home was not viewable from the footage but he said it was some distance behind the camera.

When he looked at the CCTV footage from this camera, he saw what he believed to be Rachel O'Reilly's Renault Scenic car heading south and going away from the house at 09:03:30.

The next relevant car was at 09:10:32, when he saw what he believed to be a navy-coloured estate car heading towards the O'Reilly household.

At 09:41:21, he again saw the car he believed to be Rachel O'Reilly's pass the quarry in the direction of the house.

18 minutes later, at 09:59:22, he said: "I observed what I believed to be a navy coloured estate car pass by the quarry heading south going away from the O'Reilly house."

Seven minutes later, at 10:07, a car matching that description was seen on different CCTV footage at Blake's corner, travelling south.

The next time he saw a car matching that description from footage at the Murphy's Quarry was later that afternoon, at 14:13:13, going in the direction of the house.

Referring to Mr O'Reilly's movements earlier that morning, he said CCTV footage at Viacom, the outdoor advertising company where he worked in Bluebell Industrial Estate, showed Mr O'Reilly first arrive in work at 07:37:50 and leave again at 08:07:52.

He said Mr Quearney left at 8:51, nearly 44 minutes later.

Det Gda Fitzpatrick said he also studied CCTV footage from between 8.30 and 11.30am in the Phibsboro and Broadstone bus garages and that at no stage did he see Mr O'Reilly.

The court has already heard evidence that this is where Mr O'Reilly said he was at this time.

He told gardai he was there to inspect posters with his co-worker Mr Derek Quearney.

Det Gda Fitzpatrick said he did see Mr Derek Quearney, arrive in the reception area at 09.26.21

However, he said other footage shows a bus coming from Finglas direction entering the garage and stopping to let out two cars, one dark and one light, as they leave.

He agreed with Mr McGinn that this footage was in keeping with evidence already given by a bus driver who said he let two cars out of the depot, one dark and one light, as he was returning from his route.

Referring to the route they believed Mr O'Reilly to have taken from work to the bus garage, he said he did not observe a car matching that of Mr O'Reilly's going towards the garages in CCTV footage from Aras Ui Dhalaigh on Church St in the city centre.

However, Det Gda Fitzpatrick said he saw a silver Citroen Xsara matching the description of Mr Quearney's going in the direction of the garage at 9:19:38.

From the same CCTV camera at 11:10:23, he saw a car he believed to be that of Mr Quearney's travel away from the bus garage towards the quays and that 'directly behind' this car, he observed a car he believed to be a Fiat Marea.

Det Gda Fitzpatrick said he believed the first car to be that of Mr Quearney's because there was a front left hubcap missing and he knew Mr Quearney's car to be missing the same one.

He said he also studied CCTV footage from outside the Europrice carpark at Blake's Corner, just north of Balheary.

The background of this footage shows 'part of' a road travelling in a North / South direction.

At 08:55:49, he said he observed what he believed to be a 'navy coloured estate car travelling North.'

Over an hour later, he saw 'a navy coloured estate car similar to a Fiat Marea travelling South.'

Footage from the Viacom CCTV camera at 11:48:21 showed Mr O'Reilly arrive back in work and Mr Quearney return at 11: 48:30.

Another camera placed at the entrance to Bluebell Industrial Estate, outside a company called Carlin Kinsella shows a navy Fiat Marea leaving at 8.12, and entering at 11:50:39.

He said Mr Quearney's Citroen Xsara was seen re-entering the estate 'two minutes later' at 11:52:03.

The jury were then showed the CCTV footage of all the relevant sightings on the court television screens.

Det Gda O'Sullivan was also asked about the CCTV footage in relation to mobile phone analysis.

He agreed with Mr McGinn that footage showed Mr O'Reilly's car leaving the industrial estate at 08.12 and that when a call was made from Nikki Pelley's phone to Mr O'Reilly at 08:12:57, the signal from his phone was picked up by a mast in Chapelizod, just north of the industrial estate.

Referring to footage which showed a car matching the description of Mr O'Reilly's passing Blake's Cross at 08:55, he agreed that a mast at Richardstown, just north of Blake's cross, picked up Mr O'Reilly's mobile phone signal when he received a call from Mr Quearney's phone at 08:56:31.

He also agreed that when a text was sent from Mr O'Reilly's phone to Rachel O'Reilly at 10:07:30, a mast in Richardstown picked up the signal from his phone.

He said by the time Mr O'Reilly received a text delivery acknowledgement, his phone was routed through a transmitter further south at Balheary, which pointed north.

He then agreed with Mr McGinn that the court had already heard evidence showing the 'borderline' between the Richardstown and Balheary masts is the area around Blake's Cross.

Referring to footage which showed the cars pulling out of the bus depot at 11:10, he agreed that when Mr O'Reilly's phone received a call from Maiden Outdoor, Nikki Pelley's workplace, the call was routed through the Dominic St mast, near the Broadstone bus garage.

An album containing 34 stills photographs from the footage was handed to the jury.