A jury has been told that a Cavan man carried out a 'siege' at a local public house the same day he allegedly shot his wife.
Oliver Kierans (57) of Drumbannon Bailieboro in Cavan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia Kierans on September 5th, 2013 at the same address.
He also pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a 12 gauge double barrel shotgun and not guilty to intent to endanger life with the same shotgun.
Michael O'Higgins SC prosecuting opened the trial at the Central Criminal Court on Friday.
He told the jury that the accused had been married to Patricia Kierans for more than 33 years but that on the date of the alleged incident, they had been living apart.
He said that Mrs Kierans had moved out of the family home to live with her sister and that she had started a relationship with another individual.
The court heard that this did not sit well with the accused who had recently begun drinking again after abstaining for the summer.
“On the morning of the alleged murder, Patricia Kierans returned to Bailieboro to carry out various chores. Oliver Kierans was out and about quite early that morning. There was reference made to him buying some spirits that day.”
The jury heard that the accused parked his vehicle in a car park at around 10am in the morning and that Patricia’s vehicle was also parked in the same carpark.
“Oliver approached her and the two got into his car and drove a short distance to the family home. You will hear in evidence that Patricia was coerced into going to the house.”
“When they got to the house Patricia went to a shed and that was the last sighting of Patricia Kierans alive.”
Mr O’Higgins said that after adjourning to the house, Mr and Mrs Kierans had gone to an upstairs bedroom and Patricia Kierans was shot with a shotgun at quite close range sustaining a very serious wound to her chest from which she died.
The court heard that afterwards, Oliver Kierans went to The Square bar, which was a short distance away from the family home.
The accused allegedly told a barman “there is going to be big news in the town”. He is then said to have gone to the basement of the public house where he was found by gardaí with a sawn off shot gun sitting in front of him.
Mr O’Higgins said that a siege then took place and that Mr Kierans eventually exited the premises quite late at night.
He said that it is not an issue in this case that the accused discharged the shot that fatally injured Patricia Kierans, but the way it happened, with the accused telling gardaí in interview that it was accidental.
The trial continues next week before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury of five women and seven men.