Murder accused worked with victim's husband 20 years before

Anne Corcoran’s killer travelled to and from work with her husband for a number of months 20 years before attacking her.

Oliver Hayes (aged 49) of Clancool Terrace, Bandon, could also see their house at Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain from his childhood home in nearby Daingean Beag. However he told gardaí he was never in their house or even on their road.

The painter has pleaded guilty to Mrs Corcoran’s manslaughter but not guilty to murdering her between January 19 and 21, 2009. He also admits falsely imprisoning her and stealing €3,000 from her account over the following days.

The jury watched footage of his second garda interview on February 5, 2009 during the fifth day of his trial at the Central Criminal Court.

“I knew Gerry 20 years ago. I worked with him for a couple of months in the piggery in Ballinspittle,” he said of Mrs Corcoran’s late husband. “I used to cycle from Bandon and leave my bike at that crossroads and he’d take me the rest of the way.”

He said that although he knew from which road Mr Corcoran arrived, he had never been on it. He added that despite being able to see the Corcoran's house from his own as a child, he didn’t know where in the townland they lived.

He agreed that Mrs Corcoran "probably" dropped them to Ballinspittle one morning because she wanted the couple’s mustard Renault 12 for the day.

“No that never happened,” he said however, when asked again.

He denied ever going into the house in the evenings if the weather was bad.

“I went to work with him for about a month until I got my own car. If it was raining he’d bring me back to Bandon,” he said. “When I got my own car, every second week we’d take turns.”

He said Mr Corcoran never wanted to be dropped home, just to the crossroads.

Earlier he described his week from Monday, January 19, when Mrs Corcoran went missing to Saturday, January 24, when he went on a skiing trip to Austria with his girlfriend, Josephine Collins.

He said his morning routine had been the same for 15 years; he would drive to Ballinspittle and have breakfast in Ms Collins’ home. He would then drive her two miles to provide home help for her brother. If he wasn’t working he would stay a while.

“Usually I’d just watch the news and Coronation Street. That’s my usual every night. I’d take the dogs out for a run,” he said of Blackie and Scruffy. “I’m fond of the two of them.”

His schedule differed only every second Wednesday evening when he attended his photography club in Clonakilty. On Wednesday night, January 21, he drove to a chipper in Bandon afterwards.

He agreed that he also parked on Bandon’s Market Street one night that week. He denied spending part of Saturday morning in Old Chapel, where Anne Corcoran’s car was found abandoned.

The gardaí showed him CCTV footage taken in Bandon and Innishannon that week, when withdrawals were made from Anne Corcoran’s account.

He agreed that his van was present twice but denied being the man getting in and out.

He agreed that a man at an ATM on January 19 was wearing the baseball cap he bought in Israel the previous October.

“The cap you got in Israel is on the man that got out of your van,” said a detective of the following night’s footage.

“Amazing,” replied Hayes, denying it was him and explaining that he did not have a bank card.

“That person’s walking funny. I don’t walk funny,” he said of the figure in another image.

“It’s your chin and nose. The chin is roundy and the mouth’s unusual,” a garda said about more footage. “You look like you’re laughing all the time as well Oliver.”

“Yeah,” replied Hayes.

“You’re the common thread. It can’t be a coincidence,” said one of the detectives, pointing to either the defendant’s clothing or van at each transaction.

Hayes said he couldn’t explain it.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Paul Carney.