'Daughter was always with' murder accused, court hears

The jury in the trial of the Sligo man accused of killing 14-year-old Melissa Mahon has heard that the accused man's daughters were always in his company.

Garda Jonathan Sweeney told the Central Criminal Court that he played football with Ronald McManus on Thursday nights in the summer of 2006. In relation to Mr McManus' two youngest daughters, Gda Sweeney said "they were always with Ronnie, it's like they were attached to his hips".

Mr McManus (aged 44), also known as Ronnie Dunbar, of Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Melissa Mahon in September 2006. He also denies threatening to kill his daughter, Samantha Conroy.

Earlier in the trial Samantha Conroy told the jury that her father put Melissa's body in a sleeping bag and threw it into the River Bonnet before taking his daughters to football practice.

Melissa went missing from the care of the Health Service Executive on September 14, 2006. Her remains were found on the shore of Lough Gill in February 2008 after Samantha spoke to gardaí.

John Banks, the manager of the Teeling Sports Centre in Collooney, Sligo, where the accused played football, told the court that there were two or sometimes three girls with the accused at the Thursday evening practices. He said he later recognised the third girl as Melissa Mahon.

Mr Banks said it would have been unusual to see young girls with a group of footballers. He said the girls wore "prominent eye make-up" and often squabbled. He described them as "pleasantly noisy".

The jury were sent home in the early afternoon on the 17th day of the trial to allow certain matters to be resolved in its absence. The trial will continue tomorrow morning before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of six men and six women.