Turkish-barber murder trial enters final stages

The jury hearing the trial of a man charged with murdering his estranged partner in April last year has begun to hear closing speeches in the case and are expected to retired to consider their verdicts this afternoon.

Hadim Kedik (aged 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.

Kedik, who came to Ireland from Turkey to work in a barbershop in Clonakilty in 2002, has admitted inflicting Ms Patterson’s injuries but says he never planned to kill her.

Ms Patterson was found dead in Kedik’s apartment above the barbershop on April 12. She had suffered eight stab wounds and Kedik, who cut his own throat and wrists, was laying face down on the floor with their 21-month-old son was asleep near his body.

Mr John O’Kelly SC told the jury Kedik had planned to kill Ms Patterson, knew the injuries he inflicted were likely to cause her serious harm or death and even after the stabbing left her to bleed and die.

“You couldn’t stab someone eight times without having the intention,” Mr O’Kelly said.

“In this case what is most peculiar is that it appears as if he had been thinking about it,” Mr O’Kelly said.

The court has heard Ms Patterson, who has two daughters from a previous relationship, had gone to Kedik’s apartment with their son on April 11 so Kedik could have a court ordered access visit.

The previous night Kedik had been in a pub in Clonakilty where he had overheard locals teasing the bartender about having walked Ms Patterson home the previous Saturday night.

The court has also heard the couple had been arguing over the child’s injured finger with Kedik claiming Ms Patterson had been neglecting their son.

Mr O’Kelly said evidence had been given that a doctor had seen the child thumb and referred him for specialist treatment just one week before the killing.

“Is it anger over neglect or jealousy of a former girlfriend being walked home by someone else?” Mr O’Kelly asked the jury.

Evidence from gardaí interviews with Kedik showed Kedik had written two letters detailing his thoughts of killing Ms Patterson and then himself, at least one of them written on the same night he had been in the pub, Mr O’Kelly said.

“On the previous night, about 12 hours before he killed Rose he was thinking about doing it,” Mr O’Kelly said.

Mr O’Kelly said the defence may try to put it that Kedik was provoked or acted in self defence but he said there was not a scrap of evidence to support either claim.

“Having stabbed Rose eight times, having her there in the same locked apartment with the baby, there, the three of them. She is bleeding to death and he did nothing. Hadim Kedik did nothing,” Mr O’Kelly said.

He said Kedik’s injuries were superficial and he admitted on his own account to Gardai that he was the only one who had ever held the knife.

“There is nothing accidental about eight stab wounds, up, down, forward,” Mr O’Kelly said.

Mr Blaise O’Carroll SC for the defence is to complete his closing speech to the jury today with Mr Justice Patrick Carney expected to charge the jury this afternoon.

The trial in the Central Criminal Court at Dublin will continue at 10.30am today.