Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)

‘PATRICIA CHOPPED UP OVER SALE OF A HOUSE’

Body cut up with hacksaw & dumped Gran suffered fatal head injury

- BY BLANAID MURPHY and SAOIRSE MCGARRIGLE news@irishmirro­r.ie

A GRANDMOTHE­R whose body parts were found scattered across the Wicklow mountains was killed when a row broke out over the sale of a house, it is believed. Patricia O’connor, 61, was murdered in her home in Mountain View, Rathfarnha­m, South Dublin, before her dismembere­d remains were dumped. It’s believed she suffered a blunt trauma wound to the head. A source told the Daily Mirror: “There was a violent row over the sale of a house – it got out of hand and Patricia was hit over the head with a blunt instrument.” A 32-year-old man handed himself in to gardai in Wexford on Tuesday and has been brought to Bray, Co Wicklow for questionin­g. The suspect, who is understood to be known to Mrs O’connor, may have been spotted on CCTV which is attached to a neighbour’s house. The Daily Mirror has learned of vital details in the case. The killer is believed to have murdered the victim in Rathfarnha­m before driving to Wexford with the body. He then buried her intact in a shallow grave near Kilmuckrid­ge but panicked and returned two days later to dig up the body. We can also reveal, the killer borrowed a hacksaw, and chopped up the remains in a field and drove back towards Dublin, dumping the body parts in eight different locations in the Wicklow mountains. Sources told us the suspect turned up at Rathfarnha­m Garda station on Monday claiming to be the killer. Officers took a statement but as at that stage it was believed the victim was a man, he was not arrested. The suspect was arrested on Tuesday when DNA results showed the sex of the remains was establishe­d. One neighbour, who did not wish to be named, said: “I felt sick to my stomach when I heard what happened to her. It’s just horrific, barbaric. I didn’t know her personally but I would see her coming and going. “She lived away for a while and then returned to the family home.” Another resident added: “There were a lot of people living in the house so it was very crowded. “I hope the kids were not in the house at the time because I can only imagine what the kids may have witnessed. God love them.” Mrs O’connor lived in the terraced house with her husband, her daughter, her daughter’s partner and her five grandchild­ren. Until recently she had worked as a chef in Mount Carmel Hospital, Churchtown. It’s understood she left the home about

five years ago to live in Wales but returned about two years ago. Mrs O’connor was reported missing on June 2 by family members. Since Saturday there have been eight separate finds of human remains at different locations between Sally Gap and Laragh Village on Military Road, Co Wicklow. Her torso was discovered by horrified tourists returning from a picnic on Saturday. Sources have said the killer used a hacksaw to dismember her body and the victim was killed around the end of May. One source said: “He clearly got into a state of panic and headed back to dig up the body. “In a rural field he dismembere­d the body with a hacksaw. It really is a gruesome case, about as awful as you could ask to come across. “He then headed back towards Dublin, throwing parts of the body along the road into fields and ditches.” The site in Wexford is now one of several macabre crime scenes being examined. It’s understood teeth have been found there. Chief Superinten­dent John Roche said: “We have a scene preserved. It’s a rural area between Kilmuckrid­ge and Blackwater. “Right now, we are waiting on a team from the technical bureau to come down and begin searching the surroundin­g area. The scene we have is quite contained so we will be searching it.” Wexford County Councillor Mary Farrell said: “This is the most horrific crime we have ever had down here. It’s always someone else’s problem isn’t it? “When you think of something like this you think of the big cities and gangs. “Kilmuckrid­ge is a seaside resort and my God it’s happening here.” Local Sinn Fein Councillor Sorcha Nic Cormaic told the Daily Mirror: “The whole community is in complete shock over this. “Everybody knows everyone in the area, it is a very close community. While someone has been arrested I would still urge anyone who has any informatio­n at all to contact the gardai.” More than 200 police and Irish army personnel have been involved in the large-scale search operation. Officers from the Garda Water Unit and Dog Unit have also been brought in. Detectives from Bray, Rathfarnha­m and Wexford have been working on the case. At first Irish police thought the victim was a man in his mid-20s and may have fallen foul of a gang. Guards have urged anyone who may have informatio­n on this incident to contact them.

This is the most horrific crime we have ever had here CLLR MARY FARRELL WEXFORD YESTERDAY

 ??  ?? PROBE Scene of crime officer in Co Wexford SPADE WORK Officer ready to dig for clues
PROBE Scene of crime officer in Co Wexford SPADE WORK Officer ready to dig for clues
 ??  ?? CRIME SCENE Patricia O’connor’s Dublin home SEARCH Officer trawls a stream for clues
CRIME SCENE Patricia O’connor’s Dublin home SEARCH Officer trawls a stream for clues

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