Mrs Catherine Nevin at first refused to make a written statement to gardai, saying she feared it would be "doctored" at Arklow station, a jury heard yesterday.
Det Garda Joe Collins was giving evidence at the Central Criminal Court trial of Mrs Nevin (48), who has pleaded not guilty to the murder of her husband, Mr Tom Nevin (54), on March 19th, 1996, in their home at Jack White's Inn, Ballinapark, Co Wicklow.
She has pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting Mr John Jones in 1989, or Mr Gerry Heapes or Mr William McClean in 1990 to murder her husband. Questioned by Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, Det Garda Collins said on the day of the murder he asked Mrs Nevin to make a written statement. "She said `I will make no statement or sign anything'. She said `I want a guarantee from a superior officer - and not the superintendent, I don't trust him - that my statement won't end up on a desk in Arklow to be doctored'."
The next day she made a statement, on her solicitor's advice. She said that on the night of the murder she had spoken to Tom after he dropped customers home. She then went upstairs, took a sleeping tablet and fell asleep. She was awakened by someone pressing her head down and repeatedly saying: "Where's the f . . . . .g jewellery? I'll f . . . . .g kill you". He had "something woolly over his face" and he had a knife. She heard someone else in the room.
The man who trussed her up was nervous. He had a "flat country accent" and "a deeper, more mature voice". She heard a noise downstairs. Two vehicles drove away. When she freed her ankles she went downstairs to press a panic alarm.
Mr Patrick MacEntee SC, defending, had earlier corrected an allegation he had made, that "a niece of Tom Nevin's" had made a complaint of sexual molestation against a garda from Arklow when she worked in the inn in 1991. He said the person who complained was "a connection of Mrs Nevin's".
Yesterday he put it to Det Garda Collins that Arklow gardai had animosity towards Mrs Nevin because of the allegation by "a connection or relative" of hers that she had been sexually assaulted by two gardai.
Det Garda Collins said a file had been sent to the DPP, but no prosecution or Garda disciplinary measures had arisen. Two gardai were suspended or detailed to lesser duties for a time but were reinstated. Det Garda John O'Neill of the Garda Technical Bureau said no fingerprint evidence was found and whoever removed drawers in the bedroom wore gloves.
Cross-examined, Det Garda O'Neill agreed he checked for the prints of Mr Gerry Heapes, a prosecution witness who is one of three men the State allege was solicited by Mrs Nevin to kill her husband. The detective said none of the fingerprints on the Garda database, including Mr Heapes's, matched those at the scene.
The trial before Miss Justice Carroll and a jury continues today.