A Dublin youth told gardai he broke into a 72-year-old woman's garage and beat her with a rake before removing some of her clothing to make it look like a rape, a murder trial jury at the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Mr Richard Kearney (19), who was 17 at the time of the alleged offence, of Finglas Place, Finglas, denies the charge that on dates unknown between November 23rd and 25th, 1998, he murdered Ms Mary Dillon (72), of Beneavin Road, Finglas, at her home. He also denies two other charges of trespass and attempted theft.
He denied he trespassed at Ms Dillon's home on March 17th that year while attempting to steal her car. He also denied trespassing on Ms Dillon's premises on November 23rd, 1998, intending to steal a car radio from Ms Dillon's car.
Det Garda James Hanley, of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Dublin, told the court he interviewed the accused on November 27th, 1998, in connection with the death of Ms Dillon. He said a memo of interview was taken at the time, which Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, read aloud to the court.
The memo alleges the accused entered Ms Dillon's garage with the intention of stealing a radio from her car. Ms Dillon noticed the youth in her garage, the memo said, and she asked him what he was doing there.
"I said I was just hiding. I opened the door. I pushed her into the garage. She fell on to the driver's side of the car. She didn't say anything. I stood looking at her. She said nothing and didn't move. I said to myself what am I after doing. I saw a big long stick on the ground. I hit her. I think the stick was a handle of an old rake. It was still dark," the memo said.
The accused then allegedly "pulled off her bottom clothes". "I didn't touch her, I didn't rape her, I just wanted it to look like a rape," the notes said. "I'm very sorry for what happened. I don't know what came over me."
In cross-examination, Mr Barry White SC, defending, put it to Det Garda Hanley that much of the memo was not said by the accused, that it was suggested to him and not acquiesced in. Mr White put it to the detective that in the interview room "voices were raised and Mr Kearney was being shouted at."
Mr White suggested to the detective that he was "intent on getting the statement to suit the facts as saw them to be."
Det Garda Hanley replied that the notes were right, and Mr Kearney was not intimidated in any way.
Previously the court had heard that Ms Dillon had last been seen alive by a friend on November 23rd, 1998, but had left to get the bus home at around 10.30 p.m. that night. Two days later another friend, who had arranged to meet Ms Dillon, grew increasingly concerned after knocking repeatedly on her door and getting no reply.
The friend went to Finglas Garda station and reported the matter, and when gardai arrived at Ms Dillon's home, she was found partially naked in her garage, having been severely beaten. She was pronounced dead that morning.
Ms Dillon had suffered extensive injuries, including fractures of the left facial bones and skull, a dislocated shoulder and blunt-force trauma to the head and chest.
The trial continues today.