Murder accused 'wanted to face the music', jury hears

A jury at the Central Criminal Court has heard that a man accused of murder told gardaí that he wanted to return to Ireland from England and “face the music.”

Kevin Keohane (aged 34), of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty the murder of Renars Tuleiko (aged 32) at Parnell Park, Thurles, Co Tipperary on a date unknown between April 13 and 15, 2007.

Victoria Moverley (aged 32), also of no fixed abode, has pleaded not guilty to assisting in concealing the body and burning his clothes.

She also pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault causing him serious harm.

The jury heard that Mr Keohane rang Det. Sgt James White on November 24 last year and indicated that he wanted to come home and “face the music.”

Previously, the court heard that both accused had been camping in a field in Thurles in April last year.

It is the prosecution’s case that Mr Keohane stabbed Mr Tuleiko during a drunken row before he and Ms Moverley concealed the body and fled to England.

Today. Mr Keohane told Det. Sgt White during interviews that he went to Thurles in April 2007 to meet Ms Moverley.

The court heard that the accused have two children together and had been “apart for six months.”

Mr Keohane told Det. Sgt White that he “could have” stabbed Mr Tuleiko more than once.

When asked how many times he stabbed Mr Tuleiko, he replied: “I haven’t got a clue.”

The court also heard that Mr Keohane was told by gardaí that when Mr Tuleiko’s body was found, the right hand was missing its small finger and that it was found in the field.

In reply, Mr Keohane told Det. Sgt White that he could not explain that and said that it “might have happened in the struggle.”

The jury also heard that, when asked by Det. Gda Pat Flood who was responsible for the death of Mr Tuleiko, Ms Moverley said: “All of us were. Getting into that state. We were all supposed to be mates.”

When asked by Det. Garda Flood if she held herself “equally responsible” for the death, she replied: “Yeah.”

Previously, the court heard that Ms Moverley told gardaí that she stabbed Mr Tuleiko in the lower back.

The jury also heard that it was put to Ms Moverley that Mr Tuleiko “ended up on the ground... with multiple stab wounds. How did that happen?” to which she replied: “I don’t know.”

The trial continues in front of Mr Justice Barry White.