Man accused of dismembering partner’s mother a ‘lovely parent’, says school secretary

A father-of-three accused of murdering his partner’s mother, whose dismembered remains were found scattered across the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, was a “lovely parent”, a primary school secretary has told the Central Criminal Court.

The trial also heard today that Kieran Greene dropped his two boys to school on the morning after he is alleged to have killed the retired grandmother. However, the school secretary said she had spoken to Mr Greene and did not “get any indication of anything whatsoever off him”.

Mr Greene (34) has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O’Connor (61) at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on May 29th, 2017.

The deceased’s daughter Louise O’Connor (41) and granddaughter Stephanie O’Connor (22), both of Millmount Court, Dundrum Road, and Louise O’Connor’s ex-partner Keith Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Mr Greene, knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence, to wit the murder of Mrs O’Connor on May 29th, 2017.

The trial has heard that the body of Mrs O’Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations over a 30km range in the Dublin mountains between June 10th and 14th, 2017.

Former deputy State pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, has given evidence that Mrs O’Connor’s head was struck a minimum of three blows with a solid implement and the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

The secretary at Mr Greene’s sons’ school told prosecution counsel, Roisin Lacey SC, that she gave gardaí access to the school’s CCTV system on June 15th 2017.

CCTV footage

She could point out Mr Greene to gardaí on the CCTV footage from the morning of May 30th as she knew him well as a parent, she said.

CCTV footage showing Mr Greene arriving at the school with his two children on May 30th at 9.18am and leaving three minutes later has been shown to the jury.

The witness confirmed she spoke to Mr Greene through the hatch, which is beside the front door of the school, before he left the building that morning.

In cross-examination, the school secretary agreed with Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, that she knew his client well as a parent from the school.

She told Mr Devally that it was “hard to say” whether Mr Greene was more present at the school than the boys’ mother Louise O’Connor.

Mr Devally asked the witness if Mr Greene presented as an “average parent” from her dealings with him in relation to his two children attending the school. “He was a lovely parent, a very good parent,” she replied.

Garda Padraic Syron told Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, that he went to Mountainview on June 12th, 2017 to follow up on inquiries with the family, while Mrs O’Connor was still a missing person.

Garda Syron said Mr Greene opened the door to him and invited him into the sitting room. The witness said three family members were also in the room and he asked them questions about Mrs O’Connor. Garda Syron said he did not remember which individuals he had put the questions to but remembered they were all sitting on the couch.

The witness agreed that the three individuals told him they had heard nothing from Mrs O’Connor nor could they think of anywhere she might be or any relatives she might be with.

Very nervous

He told Mr Devally that Mr Greene in particular was very nervous or edgy at the time and he did not volunteer anything. He also agreed that there was nothing noteworthy from the other individuals demeanour.

Mother-of-five Louise O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O’Connor disguising herself as Patricia O’Connor at Mountainview Park on May 29th, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that Patricia O’Connor was dead.

Stephanie O’Connor has pleaded not guilty to disguising herself as Mrs O’Connor at Mountainview Park at a point in time after her murder to conceal the fact that she was already dead.

Mr Johnston has pleaded not guilty to assisting Mr Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie’s, Mr Price, B&Q and the Shoe Zone on June 9th 2017 which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O’Connor.

Mr Johnston also denies engaging in the refurbishment of a bathroom at Mountainview Park between May 31st, 2017 and June 9th, 2017, to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the murder of Mrs O’Connor.

The trial will continue on Monday before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women.