ANNE CORCORAN’S killer laughed as he told detectives about driving her car through a Garda checkpoint less than two days after burying her in a shallow grave, his murder trial heard.
Oliver Hayes (49) of Clancool Terrace, Bandon, told interviewers that he moved the widow’s Peugeot away from his street at noon on Saturday, January 24th, 2009, before he flew to Austria on a skiing trip with his girlfriend. The 60-year-old had not been reported missing at that stage.
“I went through the Garda checkpoint,” he said, explaining that the gardaí seemed interested in another car and that he was able to drive through and park her car in a lay-by.
A detective asked Hayes if he had a name ready if gardaí had stopped him.
“I’d probably have come up with something,” laughed Hayes.
He laughed again when asked if he had really bought a paper in Innishannon that day or chips in Bandon on the Wednesday night, as he had previously claimed.
“No,” he responded to both questions. “I suppose I could claim insanity,” he said.
The Central Criminal Court jury was watching his final Garda interview from February 6th last year.
He has pleaded guilty to manslaughter but not guilty to murdering Anne Corcoran between January 19th and 21st, 2009, after abducting her from her home at Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain. He admits falsely imprisoning her in his house and stealing €3,000 from her bank account in the days following her death.
Yesterday pathologist Dr Derek Carson gave evidence on behalf of the defence.
He agreed that death was due to a combination of blunt force trauma to the head, a gag and being “trussed up” with electrical cable.
He said the bruising to Mrs Corcoran’s face could have been caused by a struggle, but agreed with John O’Kelly, prosecuting, that it could also have been caused by a blow, and that her black eye was more likely to have resulted from a punch.
Mr O’Kelly asked Dr Carson if Mrs Corcoran would have lived had she received medical attention or had her gag removed hours after being knocked unconscious, when Hayes said she was still alive.
“I think so, yes,” he replied to both questions.
The trial continues.