The trial of a man accused of murdering his wife today heard that she had a sexual relationship with another man.
Anton Mulder (44) of Maelduin, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, but originally from South Africa, pleaded not guilty to the murder, but guilty to the manslaughter of his wife Colleen Suzanne Mulder.
She was found dead in the bedroom of their house at the same address on December 17th 2004.
Mr Johan De Waal, a South African truck driver who had befriended Mr Mulder and later his in 2002, told the central criminal court that Mr Mulder lent him money to buy a car.
Mr De Waal said that at one point he had daily contact with the victim.
In response to prosecution counsel Mr Gerard Clarke SC, Mr De Waal said that in the summer of 2004 Anton Mulder told him at a house party that he had enough of his family.
He was going to "max out" all the credit cards, take out a second mortgage on the Mulder's house in Bangor, and then return to South Africa with the money - a plan that was never carried out.
Under cross-examination from defence counsel Mr Roddy O'Hanlon SC Mr De Waal acknowledged that he had a good friendship with Mrs Mulder, but did not feel the relationship was an affair.
However he admitted that it was sexual on two occasions. He could not remember when the encounters happened, but said that relations took place once in Athboy, Co Meath and another time in Bangor.
Following the party in 2004 the witness said he got a text message from Mr Mulder saying that he and his wife agreed that the friendship with Mr De Waal was over.
Another South African national, Christy Koortzen, said that an upset Mr Mulder came to his home on December 8th 2004.
Mr Koortzen, a next-door neighbour of the Mulders, said the accused told him in their native Afrikaans that he was unhappy with his wife and that "he felt like picking up a knife and make an ends of her."
Under cross-examination from Mr O'Hanlon the witness admitted that he did not take matter seriously enough to bring it to the attention of the Gardai.
Mr Mulder's eldest son Clinton said that he and the accused did not get on because of the way his father treated the family. "It was his way or the highway," he said.
His parents fought a lot, and he said he was worried about his mother. However in late 2004 when Clinton was training in the Isle of Man he said that his father was a changed man and was much nicer to everybody.
Under cross-examination the witness denied his father had ever spoken to him or voiced concern about his own behaviour. He also admitted that he never saw his father hit his mother or his sisters.
In a statement taken by Detective Garda Valentine Crosse on Dec 17th Mr Mulder admitted his marriage was not good, especially during the 4-5 months prior to his wife's death.
He claimed that they had a row over a family matter on the morning of her death. Mr Mulder claimed his wife said words to the effect that he was "not a father to his children."
He also claimed things were so bad in the marriage that he had picked up some literature about domestic abuse.
Mr Mulder admitted getting upset and that he grabbed her head, in order "to close her mouth." He stated that he did not mean to kill Colleen.
Detective Garda James O'Sullivan who took a second statement from the accused also on December 17th said the accused was remorseful throughout the interview.
The Deputy State Pathologist Dr Michael Curtis, who carried out the post-mortem said that in his opinion Mrs Mulder's death was due to compression of the neck, as a result of manual strangulation.
While he could not precisely estimate how long the force was applied, it would have lasted for several seconds, but was not instantaneous.
The trial is being heard by Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan, in front of a jury of 10 men and two women, is expected to last two weeks. It resumes tomorrow.