Cork man on trial for murdering his partner can only be found guilty of murder or manslaughter, jury told

Judge said because accused man admitted the killing in his evidence from the witness box, it was not open to them to deliver a not guilty verdict

Adam Corcoran pleaded not guilty at the outset of the trial to murdering mother of two Daena Walsh at their home in Midleton. Picture: Larry Cummins

The man on trial for murdering his partner at their apartment in Midleton can only be found guilty of murder or guilty of manslaughter, the trial judge told the jury on Wednesday in light of the accused man’s witness box admission: “I killed her, yes.” 

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford told the jury of eight men and four women at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that the two verdicts open to them were now ones of: guilty of murder; or not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter.

The trial judge explained to them that because the accused man admitted the killing in his evidence from the witness box, it was not open to them to deliver an absolute verdict, simply stating, not guilty, to the murder charge. For that reason, it is either murder or manslaughter.

31-year-old Adam Corcoran pleaded not guilty at the outset of the trial to murdering mother of two Daena Walsh at their home at John Barry House, Midleton, Co Cork, on August 2, 2024, and arson of the apartment.

Ms Justice Lankford said the jury also had to consider whether he was guilty or not guilty to the arson charge, and their verdicts must be unanimous.

Defence closing speech

Defence senior counsel Brendan Grehan said in his closing speech to the jury: “You should bring your common sense and life experience to bear. What happened to a couple who looked [on CCTV on the streets of Midleton] quite happy going around in each other’s company in the town, that within less than an hour, Daena is dead. There must be some explanation for that.

“Unless the prosecution can prove there is an intention to kill — there is no intention to murder. Then it is not a murder case, it is a manslaughter case.

“If you have a doubt that he could form the intention — because of his level of intoxication — that also changes the case of murder to a case of manslaughter.

“It is suggested to you that the accused is trying to avoid responsibility and is in effect telling a pack of lies, and you should disregard everything he has to say. Listening to Mr Corcoran being cross-examined, he was in effect a pushover, he did not really stand his ground on everything. He immediately conceded this is not suicide.

“I am not putting self-defence forward. I am not saying it is an accident in some shape or form.

“Rather than the criminal mastermind coming out with a great sweep of lies, he came up with a story that makes little sense. He does not come across as a stupid man. If he had one and a half years to come up with a story, then he could have come up with something better.

“Rather than somebody trying to get himself off the hook, he does not. He comes up with an account that has holes in it all over the place — I agree with the prosecution on that. But that is not enough to say because there are holes in it he must be guilty of murder.

“Suicide has gone out of the case. You are left looking at intent and intoxication. There is no motive in this case. Generally, people are killed for a reason.” 

Prosecution closing speech

Prosecution senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan said the accused had lied so much that the jury could not rely on anything he said.

Mr O’Sullivan said when Adam Corcoran rang 999 on the afternoon of Daena’s death, he claimed she had killed herself. But when he gave evidence, he was no longer saying it was suicide and was now saying he killed her.

“He is doing everything he could do to avoid responsibility,” the prosecution senior counsel said.

Mr O’Sullivan said when it came to explaining injuries, including the fatal chest injury, it was like there was “a bouncing knife” when one looked at the evidence given in the witness box by the accused.

The prosecution senior counsel said in describing the movement of the knife in his evidence, the defendant managed to forget the fact Ms Walsh’s throat was cut and there was a very serious injury to her chest.

He said the defendant lied from the start and was lying in the witness box and was telling a story to fit with the evidence that emerged in the case.

Mr O’Sullivan said at one stage the defendant almost amputated her left arm with a bread knife, in an abandoned effort to dismember the body, but this was a suggestion Adam Corcoran denied.

The jury commenced their deliberations on Wednesday and will resume on Thursday.