Santina was hysterical, I was trying to calm her.. I put her in a blanket then I fell asleep
Murder accused’s mind ‘went blank’
A WOMAN on trial for the murder of a two-year-old child told gardai that she fell asleep in her apartment only to be woken by her then partner accusing her of killing his daughter.
Karen Harrington is before the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork charged with the murder of Santina Cawley at an apartment in Elderwood Park on Boreenmanna Road in the city, on July 5, 2019.
At the time she was in a relationship with Michael Cawley, the father of the deceased.
Harrington was arrested in connection with the murder of Santina on the July 8 that year.
The court heard that during her detention at Gurranbraher Garda Station in Cork city she told gardai that she was a “caring” person who had taken over the raising of her younger sisters as a teenager.
She also stated that Mr Cawley was a good father and that they had been together for about six months. Harrington said that she had had an argument with Mr Cawley in the early hours of July, 5, 2019 at her then apartment.
She stated she had earlier had a disagreement with him while socialising in the home of a friend, Martina Higgins, in the same apartment complex.
She left her friend’s flat at around 1.30am. She told gardai that when she went back to her own home she accidentally broke a drinking glass.
She stated she later cut her feet on the broken glass when arguing with Mr Cawley. When he returned with Santina at around 3am they started arguing again.
“I don’t know [about what],” she said. “I am blank on what was said. Santina was crying. She was hysterical. I had her in my arms. I was trying to calm her.
“She was roasting. My last memory of her is taking her clothes off.
“I put her in a blanket and said I would check her and then I fell asleep. She had calmed down at that stage.”
Harrington told gardai that her next memory was of being woken from her sleep by Mr Cawley who had returned to the apartment.
LIFELESS
She said: “Michael was standing in front of me with the baby. I took her. She was lifeless. She was white. He was saying, ‘What did you do to my child?’ She had a pale face.
“She was looking lifeless. I can see her lips. I imagined she was alive. I panicked and I ran. My mind was leaving me. I went blank.”
Harrington said that her partner started “roaring” at her and that she left and went to the home of Ms Higgins. When she didn’t get an answer she left the apartment complex and went to the nearby home of another pal.
Sgt Michelle O’leary earlier told the jury that she interviewed Harrington at the Bridewell Station in Cork on the morning of July 5, 2019 after she was taken there at 6.40am.
She agreed to provide a specimen of her blood and consented to scrapings being taken from under her fingernails as well as providing swabs to gardai.
Sgt O’leary said she arrived at the scene where the little girl was found at Elderwood Apartments at 5.20am on July 5 after gardai had received a call about a serious situation.
Sgt O’leary said that she entered the flat to find her colleague, Sgt Bryan Teahan, checking the toddler for a pulse. A faint one was detected and Sgt O’leary moved a duvet to try CPR on the critically injured child.
Sgt O’leary said that the kitchen at
Elderwood Park was in “disarray” and there was broken glass on the floor.
The Garda spoke to Harrington who confirmed that lived at the flat.
She said: “There was a smell of alcohol but I wouldn’t describe her as intoxicated. She was hungover.”
Earlier, another garda told the murder trial that he walked over six kilometres to Cork University Hospital alongside the injured child’s father.
Sgt Brian Maher told the jury that he attended the scene where Santina was found and met Mr Cawley outside the flat.
He recalled: “He was agitated and emotional. He was extremely distraught. He was enquiring about
Santina. Did I know if his daughter was dead or alive.”
Officers had asked Mr Cawley to go in a Garda car to the station but he declined to do so. Sgt Maher said that Mr Cawley wanted to go to the hospital to see his child.
He added: “I asked him to accompany me to Anglesea Street Garda station to give me an account. He was emotional. He refused my request to go. I asked him to come with me. He did not want to.
“He wanted to go to Cork University Hospital. He wanted to walk from Boreenmanna Road [the 6km] to hospital.
“I said we would go together. So we set off to walk together. I continued to speak to him on the way to hospital. On numerous occasions, he wanted to know was she [Santina] alive or dead. I was trying to support him as best I could. He was extremely emotional.”
And Sgt Maher told the jury how he stayed with the stricken father when they arrived at the hospital.
He said: “During our time at the hospital, he had been crying and extremely upset.
“CUH staff told us [gardai] to help prepare Michael Cawley for the worst.”
The case will resume on Monday before Justice Michael Mcgrath and a jury of eleven people.
The 12th juror was excused earlier this
week.
Hospital staff told us to prepare Michael Cawley for the worst
SGT BRIAN MAHER IN COURT YESTERDAY