Mayo woman went missing on day she had positive pregnancy test confirmed

A Mayo woman who has been missing since December 2000 had a positive pregnancy test confirmed by her GP on the day she disappeared, the Central Criminal Court was told yesterday.

On the opening day of the trial of Martin Earley (49), Banagher, Carrowmore Lacken, Ballina, Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, told a jury that although the body of Sandra Collins (28) had never been found, the circumstantial evidence was that she had been murdered.

The trial, before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury, began yesterday at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Castlebar. It is expected to last three weeks.

Opening the case for the prosecution, Mr Vaughan Buckley, told the jury

the circumstantial evidence was “that she is dead and has been for a long time”.

Mr Vaughan Buckley told the jury it was his contention that there would be ample evidence for them to come to a conclusion that the accused was guilty of murder.

The trial continues.