‘I’m trying to bring her back to life,’ accused said
A MURDER accused told emergency services during a 999 call he was performing resuscitation techniques on mother-of-three Nicola Collins (38) saying: “Jesus Christ – I am trying to bring my girlfriend back to life.”
Cathal O’Sullivan (45), when later asked by emergency services personnel to leave the bedroom of his Cork flat while they tried to resuscitate Ms Collins, refused and said that he “was used to seeing dead people and would rather stay”.
The revelation came as Ms
Justice Eileen Creedon and a Central Criminal Court jury of nine men and three woman heard evidence for the second day in the murder trial.
Cathal O’Sullivan, of Popham’s Road, Farranree, Cork but who is originally from Charleville, denies the murder of Ms Collins at the flat on March 27, 2017.
Ms Collins was a native of Tralee, Co Kerry, but had been living in recent years at Clashduv in Cork.
Prosecutor Tom Creed SC told the trial in his opening address it was the State’s case that the defendant beat Ms Collins to death.
The trial was told Ms Collins arrived at the flat by taxi on March 23 – and was last caught by CCTV footage at 11.24am on March 24.
A post mortem found she had died from a serious head injury caused by blunt force trauma. Ms Collins had also sustained a broken jaw, had two missing front teeth and had bruises to her arms, face, lips, neck, abdomen and breast. There were also signs of asphyxia.
The trial heard the defendant rang 999 shortly after 3am on March 27, 2017 to request an ambulance.
After repeated requests by the controller to confirm the address, the defendant replied: “As soon as possible, please... Jesus Christ, I am trying to bring my girlfriend back to life. She is not breathing, like.”
As he was moving Ms Collins on to the floor for resuscitation, the audio detailed how the defendant said: “Oh my God... Nicola, come on, Nicola, Nicola – ah Nicola.”
The defendant insisted he had repeatedly performed resuscitation without effect.
Ms Collins was found lying naked on her back on the bedroom floor with her legs resting on the edge of the bed.
Det Gda John Ford said he found multiple blood spatters all over the flat as well as a clump of blonde hair on a glass table.
Cork Fire Brigade official Tadhg O’Mahony reached the scene at 3.13am.
The defendant took the emergency service members into the upstairs bedroom of the flat.
Mr O’Mahony asked Mr O’Sullivan to leave the bedroom. “He said he was used to seeing dead people and he would rather stay,” he said.