Kearney trial jury hears from emergency services

The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial of a man accused on murdering his wife in south Dublin two years ago have been hearing from emergency service personnel who attended the scene of the death.

Brian Kearney, aged 50, with an address at Carnroe, Knocknashee, Goatstown, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Siobhan Kearney, 38, on February 28, 2006 - his 49th birthday.

Mr John Fitzgerald, told Mr Dominic McGinn BL, prosecuting, that he arrived at the scene with a colleague at around 10.40a.m. He went upstairs to the bedroom where Ms Kearney's body had been found earlier by her father.

"She would have been rolled in towards the wardrobe in almost a recovery or a foetal position. She would have been slightly curled up but not wrapped in a ball."

He told Mr McGinn he noticed the flex of the nearby vacuum cleaner was wrapped around Ms Kearney's body and had to untangle it so that he could begin work.

Mr Alan Finn, a member of Dublin Fire Brigade, told Mr McGinn that when he arrived after the ambulance crew he had gone straight upstairs. He noticed that the door of the bedroom had been forced.

"I remember seeing a key on the ground about two feet inside the room."

He said that there were some obvious signs that Ms Kearney was deceased. As well as rigor mortis, "there were obviously some marks around the neck and some blood pooling along the face."

Mr Billy McHugh, also from Dublin Fire Brigade, told Mr McGinn he noticed a toy gun beside the body.

"It looked like an air rifle. I didn't go too close. I didn't touch anything."

His colleague, Mr Neil Hogan told Mr McGinn that he had searched the room for a suicide note or for medication or drugs but did not find anything. He said he had not seen Siobhan's mother come in and sit on the bed, looking for a note.

Mr Michael O'Reilly also from the Fire Brigade told Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that when he spoke to the McLaughlin family downstairs, the deceased woman's mother told that her daughter was "going through a rough patch and had been looking for tablets the night before."

Fr Ivan Tonge, told Mr McGinn that he had known the McLaughlin family for several years. On the day of Siobhan's death he received a call from Brighid McLaughlin, the deceased woman's sister telling what had happened.

He went to the house to perform the last rites.

Fr Tonge told Mr Gageby, that member's of Siobhan's family were present while he was performing the last rites, including her father who seemed visibly upset.

The trial continues before Mr Justice White and the jury of eight women and four men.