A Dublin book-keeper confessed to a friend that he strangled his wife and said he had "no option" and "no regrets", it was alleged at a murder trial yesterday. Ms Debra O'Connell said Mr Paul O'Donohoe confessed to her several times that he killed his wife, Miriam, and had initially tried to hire a man to do the killing for him. He told her the legal system had failed him and he had no regrets about killing her.
Ms O'Connell said that Mr O'Donohoe told her before the killing that he had twice tried to murder his wife by electrocution in her home. She said he appeared relaxed on the day after the killing and told her that his alibis were "almost complete".
He told her that he had scattered objects around the house to make it look like a burglar had killed his wife. He also said that he had given her a bottle of vodka that morning to ensure she was drunk when he returned to kill her that night.
It was the eighth day of the trial of Mr O'Donohoe (44), Aberdeen Street, Dublin, who denies the murder or manslaughter of his estranged wife, Miriam O'Donohoe (42), at her home in Mulhuddart on January 25th, 1997. Evidence has resumed after three days of legal argument.
Ms O'Connell said that in October 1996 Mr O'Donohoe told her he was going to kill his wife and she told him not to be ridiculous. He replied: "You'll see." A fortnight later he told her he had tried to kill her three times since their last conversation.