Murder accused 'had letters saying he would kill partner'

A Turkish barber accused of murdering his estranged partner wrote letters saying he would kill her and then himself the night before he stabbed her in front of their son, a court has heard.

Hadim Kedik, 33, with an address at 10 Connolly Street, Clonakilty, Co Cork, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Rose Patterson, 30, between April 11 and 12, last year.

The Turkish barber, who came to Ireland to work in 'A Cut Above' barbershop in Conakilty in 2002, has admitted inflicting Ms Patterson’s injuries but says he never planned to kill her.

In an interview with gardaí, taken after the killing, Kedik was shown two letters retrieved from his apartment and he admitted he had written them on the Tuesday night when he was drunk – the day before he allegedly murdered Ms Patterson.

The jury of eight men and four women heard Kedik told gardaí: “I didn’t plan to kill her, I was drunk that’s why I wrote it.”

One letter was addressed to his friend Romazan who accompanied him to Ireland from Turkey in 2002.

Kedik translated the letter for gardaí and in it he asks Romazan not to criticise him for the things he has not done.

“I only thought about good things but it does not happen,” it says.

“My thoughts were also to kill (my son) but always I watched him, he’s a clever boy. I can’t do it.”

He goes on to say: “I will only kill Rose and then myself. He is a clever boy the only thing I want is to tell him that he is Turkish.”

Kedik also translates a second letter written to an address in Turkey that, Kedik says, he also wrote on the Tuesday night.

It says: “Sorry for upsetting you, I can always upset you.”

It goes on to say: “I loved Rose but neither what she does or says represents me or my family and neither can she give anything to my child.”

“He is a clever boy he is needed to our people that’s why I can’t kill him I can only write this,” it says.

He tells his family he is always with them.

“I also have lots of thoughts and dreams but it didn’t happen.”

“There is nothing to tell more. I can’t carry some things anymore and this is my problem, this is my life and I am ending it,” it said.

Kedik admits he wrote the letters the night before Ms Patterson arrived for his court-ordered access visit with his son.

“I wrote them when I was drunk and anyway I didn’t make any plan, even if I had plans I could not kill the mother of my son,” Kedik told gardaí.

Gardaí put it to Kedik the killing happened about 2pm when witnesses, including Romazan who was working in the barbershop downstairs, said they heard arguing.

Gardaí put it to Kedik that by 3pm everything in the apartment was quiet and they believed by then Ms Patterson was dead.

“I believe not long after Rose arrived in your flat you killed her, within the first hour to hour and a half,” gardaí asked.

“I don’t know that time..” Kedik said.

The court also heard from Sergeant John Delaney from the garda telecommunications section.

He told Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and the jury phone calls were made and received by Kedik’s phone on the day Ms Patterson was allegedly murdered.

At 1.05pm there is a call to Ms Patterson’s phone, then at 1.29pm there is a call from Romazan. Calls were also taken and made to another name in Kedik’s phone list, a man called Tayfur.

The court has also heard gardaí discovered Kedik made two calls to Turkey in the early hours of April 12 just after 1am, but Kedik said he did not remember making them.

Mr Blaise O’Carroll, SC is appearing for Kedik.

Mr John O’Kelly appears for the DPP.

The trial is continuing.