A JURY at the Central Criminal Court has heard that Swiss teenager Manuela Riedo died of strangulation.
She had arrived in Galway, where she was studying English with fellow Swiss students, three days before her body was found in an area of wasteland.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy told the jury Ms Riedo also had head injuries which may have been inflicted while she was lying on the ground. She said there was also an “unusual” injury to Manuela’s left groin where a piece of skin had been “removed using a sharp object, most likely a knife”.
Gerald Barry (28), Rosan Glas, Rahoon, Galway, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Manuela Riedo (17) at Lough Atalia, Renmore, Galway on October 8th, 2007. He has pleaded guilty to stealing a camera and a mobile phone at the same place on the same date.
Prof Cassidy told Isobel Kennedy, prosecuting, that Manuela’s body was found in wasteland beside a pedestrian walkway known locally as “The Line”. She was naked from the waist down, partially covered by her coat, which was secured by a rock.
Prof Cassidy told the court Manuela’s neck was “compressed due to contact”. She said Manuela could have been “grabbed” with an arm-lock from behind or a forearm could have been pressed into her neck from the front.
“Death could have been due to asphyxia as a consequence of neck compression,” she said.
The marks on Manuela’s neck were “suggestive of strangulation”. Prof Cassidy also described a “gaping wound” to Manuela’s left groin. She said this “unusual” injury was “undoubtedly caused after death” with a sharp object, “most likely a knife”. It was not caused by an animal, she added.
Prof Cassidy said there was a bump and laceration on the back of Manuela’s head, suggestive of her head having been struck or of it having struck a surface. Prof Cassidy said injuries to Manuela’s face could have been due to minor blows to the head. There was no evidence that she struggled.
Prof Cassidy added that Manuela’s assailant could have been “stronger . . . controlling her in an arm-lock, or that she had suffered concussion earlier in the attack”. She said there were superficial lacerations and an abrasion around the opening of the vagina, but that there was no evidence of any internal vaginal injuries.
Azaria Maurer, friend of Manuela, told Dominic McGinn, prosecuting, that she was part of the group of Swiss students who arrived in Galway in October 2007 to study English. Manuela and Azaria were staying with separate host families in Renmore. Ms Maurer said she and Manuela walked into Galway city on Sunday afternoon. They walked back to Renmore later that evening along “The Line”. “Somebody in the school said it was a short cut,” she said. Ms Maurer met Manuela again that night and they went to the King’s Head pub. Manuela did not speak to anybody apart from her fellow students.
Ms Maurer said she met Manuela once again on Monday morning. They walked along “The Line” to language school, and that afternoon went to the King’s Head and met their friends. None of the students spoke to anybody outside their group and Manuela did not drink any alcohol. They walked back to Renmore that evening and returned to their host families. The court heard that had been the last time Ms Maurer saw Manuela.
The group had arranged to meet again that night in the King’s Head. Ms Maurer went to the pub and some of her friends were there, but Manuela was absent. She sent a text message to Manuela at about 9pm, but got no reply. The next morning, she tried to phone Manuela, but a message said the number was not in use.
Ms Maurer told the court that Manuela had a boyfriend in Switzerland, and said the screensaver on Manuela’s mobile phone was a picture of him.
Martin Tierney, father of Manuela’s host family, told the court Manuela showed him a map of Galway on the Monday evening before her alleged murder. He said he “advised her against walking into town by the railway”.
Det Garda Shane Curran told the court he attended the crime scene on October 9th. He noticed a “used condom snagged on a bush” and that a button was missing from Manuela’s coat. He found a black button on the path above where Manuela was found.
Det Garda Curran searched an apartment at Rosan Glas, Rahoon on October 18th. He found a camera in the bedroom.
The trial continues.