Man (44) pleads not guilty to the murder of mother of three found in flat
A MAN has denied the murder of mother-of-three Nicola Collins who was found with fatal injuries in a flat last year.
Cathal O’Sullivan (44) was yesterday arraigned before the Central Criminal Court in Cork, and formally pleaded not guilty to Ms Collins’s murder.
The 38-year-old mother, originally from Kerry, was found unresponsive in a flat at Popham’s Road, Farranree, Cork, in the early hours of March 27, 2017, and pronounced dead at the scene.
Mr O’Sullivan is originally from Charleville, north Cork.
In response to the murder charge before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and the jury of eight men and four women, he pleaded “Not guilty”.
The defendant was wearing a dark coloured pin-stripe suit, white shirt and grey tie.
Witnesses
The jury was told the trial is expected to take two weeks.
Tom Creed SC, for the State, told Ms Justice Creedon a significant number of witnesses would be involved.
The court was told Mr Creed and Ray Boland BL were discussing the witness schedule with defence counsel Colman Cody SC and Peter Flynn BL.
However, the jury sworn in to hear the case was later discharged by Ms Justice Creedon for legal reasons following submissions.
A new jury will be selected and sworn in today when the trial is scheduled to formally open.
The defendant did not speak in court yesterday beyond confirming his not guilty plea.