Man gets life for murder of widow

A Co Cork man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of widow Anne Corcoran after abducting her from her farmhouse during a robbery last year.

Oliver Hayes (49), a painter, with an address in Clancool Terrace, Bandon, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but had denied murdering Mrs Corcoran (60) between January 19th and 21st, 2009.

He was also given 10 years to run concurrent with other charges, including false imprisonment, five counts of theft, and one of attempted theft.

Mr Justice Paul Carney said: “Apart from the gratuitous violence involved, one of the most chilling features of this case was the accused’s total lack of genuine remorse over anything other than the suffering caused to Anne Corcoran’s dogs.

He said he based this view on video tape evidence of his interviews.

“As recently as last week he said in cross examination that he was as much a victim as the unfortunate woman whom he bludgeoned to death”, Mr Justice Carney said.

He said whether Hayes will ever be released will be determined by a parole board in the distant future on foot of intensive investigation, and a study of both the transcript of the court trial and the victim impact statement.

Mrs Corcoran's nephew Kevin Kelly told of the impact her death had on the family, saying that his aunt was an active 60-year-old who loved her dogs and had a passion for music, including Johnny Cash, Big Tom and Joe Dolan.

He said that one of the hardest aspects for the family to deal with was the fact that they were never given the opportunity to say a final face-to-face farewell because of the manner in which Hayes had murdered his aunt and tried to burn her body.

He said it was hard to say goodbye to a closed coffin. Hayes sat motionless during the 45-minute hearing.

Last week, the jury reached a majority verdict of 10 to two after three hours and 41 minutes deliberating at the Central Criminal Court.

Hayes admitted falsely imprisoning her in his home and stealing €3,000 from her bank account following her death.

The 11-day trial heard that Hayes was in debt and decided to rob Mrs Corcoran because she was “a woman on her own” in a big farmhouse, and he thought she would have money.

After the verdict was read out, Det Garda Jim Fitzgerald outlined the killer’s eight previous convictions, which included burglary of an 84-year-old’s home, assault with intent to rob and theft. However, he was never jailed before killing Mrs Corcoran.

The detective said that on one occasion Hayes went to a woman’s house on the pretence of needing water for his car. He produced a knife but a neighbour heard her scream and disturbed him.

“In January 2009, work was quiet,” Hayes told the court. “I had put off paying some of the bigger bills, thinking something might come around the corner.”

He had made no mortgage payments on his end-of-terrace house in almost two years. The credit union was pursuing him for a €10,000 debt on which he had defaulted.

His van insurance was in arrears and he was about to lose it. He could not have his damaged van repaired until he paid his mechanic money he already owed him.

“I thought I’d go to some place and rob it,” he said, explaining that he knew of Mrs Corcoran as he had worked with her husband, who had given him lifts to work, and he knew where her house was.

About 4.30pm on Monday, January 19th, last year, he set off on the five-mile walk from Bandon to her farmhouse in Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain. “I didn’t want the van to be seen,” he said.

The widow left in her car while he was stalking the house.

Hayes grabbed her as she opened her front door on her return. He tied her hands and demanded money. When she said it was in the bank, he demanded her bank card and pin.

She did not hand them over so he put her in the boot of her car and drove around for an hour. He eventually took her to his house, where he tied her more securely and gagged her.

Mrs Corcoran eventually gave her pin number and told him where he would find her card in her house. He wanted to knock her out so she wouldn’t raise the alarm while he was gone. He beat her over the head with a stick but when this did not work, he used a heavy table top.

He returned to her house and stole her bank cards. He claimed she was alive but unconscious when he returned, but had died by the morning.