A WOMAN on trial for murdering an English man whose body was found in a slurry pit gave a statement to gardaí in which she admitted hitting the victim in the leg with a mallet, the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork heard yesterday.
Una Geaney (45), of Mullinageamig, Dingle, Co Kerry, and originally from Fermoy, Co Cork, has denied the murder of 37-year-old Gary Bull at Shanlaragh, Dunmanway, Co Cork, on or about September 23rd, 2007.
Mr Bull, who was nicknamed “gold tooth”, had been living in west Cork for a number of years, but was originally from Hertfordshire in Britain.
The court has heard that on Friday, September 21st, 2007, a birthday party took place at the house in Shanlaragh, where drink and drugs were taken.
The party continued on the Saturday and Sunday.
On the fourth day of the trial yesterday, prosecuting counsel Tom Creed read a statement made by Ms Geaney to gardaí following her arrest in relation to the murder of Mr Bull.
In a statement dated October 13th, 2007, Ms Geaney said Mr Bull came looking for a fight with “anyone in the house”.
Ms Geaney claimed that Mr Bull was “off with the arguments” and pushed and shoved her.
Another guest picked up a piece of wood and struck Mr Bull across the face.
Ms Geaney said that a man nicknamed “Jay the hat” handed her a mallet and told her to hit Mr Bull. Ms Geaney claimed that she hit Mr Bull in the leg, but denied she hit him on the head.
Ms Geaney said “Jay the hat” took the mallet from her and started hitting Mr Bull.
“He didn’t even go down the first time Jay hit him. I didn’t think ‘Jay the hat’ would kill him. I did not hit him on the head with the mallet. I did not kill him. I knew ‘Jay’ was going to hit Gary but I didn’t know he was going to hit him on the head.”
Ms Geaney said that “Jay the hat” wanted her to hit Mr Bull on the head but that she “couldn’t do it”.
During the interview, Ms Geaney denied suggestions made by gardaí that guests at the party had ambushed Mr Bull.
Gardaí accused her of engaging in a tissue of lies in the wake of Mr Bull’s death but she maintained she was simply trying to block it out of her mind.
Ms Geaney said in her statement she would “live with this [the death]” for the rest of her life.
Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster previously testified that the deceased had very extensive fractures and died as a result of blunt force trauma to the head consistent with having suffered multiple blows from a blunt weapon.
She said Mr Bull was dead before his body was put in the slurry pit.
The court has also heard from Mr Bull’s former partner Claire Freeman. The jury was previously told Mr Bull could be violent after he had consumed alcohol.
Ms Freeman testified that Ms Geaney said she killed Mr Bull “for” her.
“She said she had smashed his head in with a mallet. She [Una] said: ‘He is in the slurry pit’ and ‘I did if for you Claire’.”
The trial will resume on Tuesday before Mr Justice Paul Carney and a jury of eight men and four women.