THE late Father Michael Cleary accused a publican, who is charged with murdering his wife and a toddler, fathering a child Court has been told.
Mr Francis told gardai in an interview the first he knew the child was when he got a phone call from Father Cleary who said he wanted to discuss the girl's welfare, Det Garda Aubrey Steediman told the court.
He said Mr McCann had said he met Father Cleary and the girl's father at Father Cleary's house in Rathmines where the priest accused him of fathering the girl's child. Mr McCann told gardai he denied it, Det Steedman said.
Mr McCann had said Father Cleary had asked him if he had a problem with young girls and mentioned medical expenses. Det Steedman said Mr McCann had said he walked out and heard no more about the matter until the Adoption Board referred to it.
Det Steedman was giving evidence on the 33rd day of the trial of Mr McCann (36), who has denied the murders of his wife, Esther (36), and an 18 month old baby, Jessica, at the family home at Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin, on September 4th, 1992. The jury has been told that Jessica was a blood relative of the accused man but not a child of marriage to Esther.
The prosecution has claimed that Mr McCann arranged the fire because he did not want to tell his wife why the Adoption Board had refused the couple's application to adopt Jessica.
In court yesterday, Det Steedman told Mr Tom O'Connell, prosecuting, that he had interviewed Mr McCann on November 4th and 5th, 1992, and that Mr McCann had made no reply to several questions on November 4th and November 5th.
He said Mr McCann had answered some questions in another unsigned interview on November 5th. He said Mr McCann had said he married Esther because he loved her and that she had told him about her baby "nearly straight away".
He said Mr McCann had said problems with their marriage started with Esther's thyroid problem which took up to a year and a half to tackle. There was "no hassle" during that time.
Asked if they were trying for children, he had said "yes and no", the witness said. Mr McCann had said Esther was always looking forward to the days when she could conceive. Dei Steedman said Mr McCann had also said he was a virgin when he first slept with Esther and had denied having sex with anyone else while with Esther.
The witness said Mr McCann had said he told Esther of the allegation of his fathering a child by the girl about three weeks before the fire in which Esther and Jessica died.
Det Steedman said Mr McCann had said he was not under pressure to tell Esther. He said Mr McCann also agreed it was true Esther was going to find out from the Adoption Board but had said the most important thing was that they would not lose Jessica.
He added Mr McCann had denied a suggestion he had sex with a young girl. Mr McCann had said he got on well with the girl in question and that she had told him she was pregnant and had sex with different people and had not told her parents.
Mr McCann had said he spoke to Esther about it. He said the girl told him later she had told her parents, and her father insisted on knowing who was the father of her child, the witness said. Mr McCann had said he was then contacted by Father Cleary, Det Steedman said.
Det Steedman said Mrs McCann had denied having a row with Esther on the night of the fire. The witness said he had asked Mr McCann was it Esther's fault that it happened and Mr McCann had said: "Yes". He did not reply when asked what Esther had done.
Det Steedman said he asked Mr McCann if it was Esther's fault "you murdered her and Jessica?" and Mr McCann had replied: "You have it the wrong way around." He said Mr McCann had said: "Esther set the whole thing alight. She told me when I came home." He added: "I was in the house that night and she told me that she would have a surprise for me when I got home."