Mairead Moran died after being stabbed multiple times, trial hears

Kilkenny woman Mairead Moran died after being stabbed multiple times and suffering an injury to her heart that would have caused “fairly rapid collapse”, a jury has heard.

Shane Smyth (29) with an address at McGuinness House, Evans Lane, Kilkenny, is charged with murdering Ms Moran (26) on May 8th, 2014 at the Market Cross Shopping Centre in Kilkenny City.

At the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Mr Smyth pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Moran by reason of insanity.

The jury has been told that the facts of the case are not disputed and a forensic psychiatrist has given evidence that Mr Smyth was suffering from severe paranoid schizophrenia at the time.

On Friday prosecution counsel, John O'Kelly SC, called Chief State Pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy to give evidence. She told the court that she carried out a postmortem on the body of Ms Moran on May 9th, 2014 at the mortuary of Waterford Regional Hospital.

Prof Cassidy told counsel that CPR was stopped on Ms Moran at 21.58 on May 9th and her death was then pronounced.

The court heard the postmortem examination showed evidence of eight stab wounds and six incised wounds, to the head, the left arm, the chest, right back and right hand.

“One of the stab wounds to the left arm had continued through the arm into the left side of the chest to penetrate the heart and left lung. The stab wounds to the right lower back had penetrated the right kidney and the liver. Both of these were potentially fatal injuries,” said Prof Cassidy.

The court heard the injury to the heart, in particular, would cause “fairly rapid collapse and could cause death due to an arrhythmia or cardiac failure”. Ms Moran had also lost a considerable amount of blood internally.

“The patter of trauma to the head, arm, and body would suggest that this was most likely as assault from the side or the back, rather than a face to face encounter. The pattern of injuries to the left arm and the right hand suggest movement of the arms during the incident due to struggling or defensive actions,” she said.

Prof Cassidy said Ms Moran’s cause of death was due to stab wounds to her trunk due to injuries to the heart, left lung, right kidney and liver.

The trial continues.