Tina pleads not guilty to murder of ‘Motcha’ Walsh
OCTOBER TRIAL DATE IN SYDNEY SET FOR NEW ROSS WOMAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING ENNISCORTHY MAN
ONE year after he was stabbed to death in Sydney, Australia, the fianceé of Enniscorthy man David ‘Motcha’ Walsh has pleaded not guilty to his murder. New Ross native Cathrina (Tina) Cahill (27) was charged with the murder of the 29 year-old father of three, originally from Moran Park, at their home in Padstow between February 17 and 18 of last year.
Cahill, who had become Walsh’s finacée the New Year’s Eve before his death, appeared via video link from jail where she is on remand.
The prosecutor had asked for the arraignment to be stood over until April as police are still making inquires about potential witnesses who live overseas and about whether they will return to Sydney or give evidence from London.
But Cahill’s lawyer asked for a trial date to be set, saying the inquiries have been going on for more than six months, and her client has been in custody for nearly a year.
Even with a trial date, police could continue trying to get witnesses from Ireland, she said.
Justice Elizabeth Fullerton went ahead with the arraignment and listed the trial, estimated to last six to eight weeks, for October 8.
She listed the case for mention on March 2, directing the prosecutor to give an update of who had been spoken to and who had confirmed their willingness to take part in the trial either by returning to Sydney or by video link.
While the Walsh family will now await the October trial date with interest, it will have come too late for David’s father John ‘Jonners’ Walsh who sadly passed away in December following illness, ten months after his son’s passing.