Gravedigger tells murder trial jury he didn’t stab his partner – The Irish Times

A gravedigger accused of murdering his partner has taken the stand in his own trial, telling jurors that although their relationship was “toxic” he did not stab her and “did everything he could to save her” .

However, when questioned about a witness who noticed bruises on mother-of-two Amadea McDermott’s body before her death, murder defendant Martin Hayes told the prosecutor that he “threw her” onto a sofa after “they wouldn’t let him go.” left”. work.

“If someone hits me, I hit back; I have every right to do that,” Mr. Hayes said later.

Mr Hayes also denied later confessing to a subsequent girlfriend that he had stabbed Ms McDermott, telling the Central Criminal Court that Niamh Higgins had lied and that she hated him.

Mr Hayes (34), with an address at Poddle Close, Crumlin, Dublin 12, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Amadea McDermott (27) on or about July 20, 2017, at her home in Rathvale Drive, Ayrfield, Coolock.

The Central Criminal Court trial heard that the defendant told emergency services who arrived at her home that the mother of two had injured herself by stabbing herself.

[ Woman had ‘black eye’ week before she died from stab wounds, murder trial told ]

A Garda witness also told the jury that the deceased’s sister, Eucharia McDermott, claimed that Mr Hayes had physically abused the victim in the past.

Taking the stand on Thursday afternoon, Mr Hayes told his defense lawyer, Ronan Munro SC, that he had been in a relationship with Ms McDermott for ten years, that they met on the social networking site Bebo and that they had two children together. “She was a brilliant mother and would do anything for her children,” he said.

The defendant added: “Looking back it was a toxic relationship, when alcohol and drugs were involved it started to go bad.”

He said the couple drank vodka together at their house a few times a week and when they drank “there were drugs too”. He said they had taken cocaine and “a bit of cannabis”.

When told by his lawyer that “toxic” was a “sort of buzzword,” Mr. Hayes replied, “I didn’t trust her and she didn’t trust me.”

When asked by Mr Munro why this was the case, the defendant replied that when Ms McDermott was pregnant with her first child, she had a relationship with his “best mate”. He said when he found out they ended their relationship but got back together when she had their daughter.

[ Murder accused claimed to have found evidence partner was in incestuous relationship, jury hears ]

He said she didn’t trust him either. “We used the same password for all our social media, she always accused me of not being at work. To this day, I still use the same password and have access to her Instagram,” he continued.

He admitted to having a tracker on her phone so he could check her text messages.

When his lawyer asked if “that was a little strange,” the defendant replied, “No, I just didn’t trust her.”

It was revealed at trial that Mr Hayes’ mobile phone used a hidden app on Ms McDermott’s mobile phone to access her contacts, callers, messages and social media.

He agreed that Ms McDermott would occasionally become agitated when consuming alcohol. “Mostly verbal, insults and stuff,” he said.

Mr Munro told his client that the prosecution suspected he had stabbed Ms McDermott that night. The defendant said he did not stab his partner and did everything he could to save her.

He denied confessing to stabbing Ms McDermott to Niamh Higgins, with whom he had a brief relationship.

Mr Hayes described his relationship with Ms Higgins to the jury as “also just toxic”.

[ ‘Abusive’ murder accused told new girlfriend he had ‘helped’ ex put knife through her stomach, witness tells trial ]

Mr Hayes said that when he and Ms Higgins spoke about their previous relationships, he told her about his relationship with Ms McDermott and how she had killed herself.

“You had a conversation [with Ms Higgins]”Did it end with you telling her you stabbed Amadea?” Rat asked.

“Ah no,” the defendant replied.

He said Ms McDermott was still alive when he called the ambulance the night she died. He said he called emergency services three times and held a towel over the wound.

When asked by Mr Munro if he had anything else to say, the defendant replied: “She was a brilliant mother, she really was, and I didn’t do that.”

Under cross-examination, Sean Gillane SC, prosecuting, told Mr Hayes that he had used a “borrowed word” to describe his relationship with Ms McDermott as toxic and the same word to describe his relationship with Ms Higgins.

The attorney asked the witness if both relationships were equally toxic. Mr Hayes said this was not the case and that he had trusted Ms Higgins.

The trial continues Friday before Judge Paul McDermott and a jury of eight men and four women as closing statements begin.