Corkman appeals conviction for killing woman

Mandatory life sentence given for murdering Nicola Collins

A man convicted of the murder of a mother of three in a flat in Cork is appealing the verdict in the case.

Cathal O’Sullivan, who is originally from Charleville, Co Cork, but who was living at 6A Popham’s Rd, Farranree, in the city, was found guilty of murdering Nicola Collins, 38, at his flat on March 27, 2017.

O’Sullivan was given the mandatory life sentence at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork last month.

When the verdict was delivered, it emerged in court that O’Sullivan, 45, had previously received a three-year suspended sentence in 2013 for violently assaulting a woman.

In an interview with The Opinion Line on Cork’s 96FM following the case, Michael Collins, father of the deceased, said he was perplexed at how O’Sullivan managed to walk out of court practically a free man after inflicting multiple injuries on a woman.

He said he felt “very distressed” at the inaccurate way his beloved daughter was portrayed in court.

At the conclusion of the case, Ms Collins’ sister Carly thanked the public, friends and family, and the gardaí for their support.

The Collins family also expressed their gratitude for the first responders who assisted Nicola on the day of her death. They say they will forever treasure the memories of their “down-to-earth”, “funny”, and “intelligent” Nicola.

The jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork spent three hours and 58 minutes deliberating before they returned the unanimous guilty verdict. O’Sullivan was jailed for life.

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan told the court O’Sullivan had four previous convictions, including public order offences and a three- year suspended sentence for assault. He said O’Sullivan received the conviction for assault in April 2013.

The woman who was assaulted incurred lacerations, wounds, rib fractures, kidney and liver injuries, and a fracture to the skull. She also received a subdural haemorrhage to the brain in the incident. She was so badly injured that she was unable to leave her house for three days.

The recent three-week trial heard Ms Collins died of subdural haematoma arising out of blunt force trauma to the head.

Assistant State pathologist Margaret Bolster said an autopsy indicated that the deceased had 125 bruises and lacerations to her head and body.

Dr Bolster said that Ms Collins had black eyes, broken front teeth, a swollen and bruised face, blood coming from her nostrils, a fracture of the lower jaw bone, scratch marks, lacerations to the lip, and bruises to her face, arms, legs, abdomen, ankles, breastbone, and fingers.

She had old bruising on her thighs and abrasions and grazes to the left eyebrow. Ms Collins had a 117g clot as a result of a subdural haematoma.

O’Sullivan claimed in evidence that the pair had spent the few days before her death at his flat watching Netflix, listening to music, drinking, and talking.

The defence claimed that Ms Collins slipped in the shower and hit her head against a star-shaped bath tap and other objects.

Ms Collins was pronounced dead at the scene. She was originally from St Brendan’s Park in Tralee, Co Kerry, but was living at Clashduv Rd in Cork at the time of her death.

O’Sullivan has lodged an appeal against his conviction with the Courts Service.

No date has been set for a hearing.