Wilton murder trial: Jury asks to see CCTV evidence of accused buying knife days before wife's death

Regin Parithapara Rajan denies the single charge of murdering his wife, 38-year-old Deepa Paruthiyezhuth Dinamani, at their home at Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, on July 14, 2023. Picture: Dan Linehan

The jury in the trial of a man accused of murdering his wife by slashing her throat at their home in Wilton asked on Tuesday morning to see again the CCTV evidence of the accused purchasing a carving knife two days before his wife’s death.

Arrangements were made to have this CCTV evidence replayed in the jury room as part of their second day of deliberations in the case.

43-year-old Regin Parithapara Rajan denies the single charge of murdering his wife, 38-year-old Deepa Paruthiyezhuth Dinamani, at their home at Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, on July 14, 2023.

The jury went out shortly after noon on Monday and deliberated until after 4 pm. At that stage, Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford asked them if they wanted to continue to deliberate this afternoon or to return today to take up the matter again. They opted to continue today.

Prosecution senior counsel Seán Gillane urged the jury to examine the evidence of the accused man purchasing the carving knife two days before his wife’s death and to consider the Google searches made by Regin Rajan, including searches in relation to carving knives and prison conditions in Ireland before July 14, 2023.

The accused testified during the trial he purchased the knife because his late wife asked him to get one.

Defence senior counsel Brian McInerney said to the jury: “It is a tragic case, it an awful case, a human life has been lost but I would urge you to consider this is not a cold-blooded intentional killing, it is not murder. Whatever it is, it is not murder. I urge you not to find him guilty of murder.” 

The jury of seven women and five men was sworn in for the trial which commenced a fortnight ago on March 24 at the Central Criminal Court in Cork. Ms Justice Lankford told members of the jury panel at the courthouse in March they should be available until April 11 as the trial could last “in excess of two weeks”.