Woman stabbed partner four times, jury hears
A WOMAN stabbed her partner four times with a kitchen knife after a drinking session on New Year’s Eve, a court was told.
Paula Farrell, 42, is charged with murdering Wayne McQuillan, 30, at her home in the early hours of New Year’s Day, 2014.
The Central Criminal Court heard the pair had been in a relationship for a year. Prosecution counsel Gerard Clarke SC said the couple regularly ‘overindulged’ in drink and on New Year’s Eve an argument broke out. ‘Ms Farrell took a large kitchen knife from a large block of knifes and stabbed Mr McQuillan four times and one stab was fatal,’ said Mr Clarke.
Several witnesses who are under 18 were called by the prosecution. They told Mr Clarke about seeing a man coming out of the house, calling for them to ring an ambulance and collapsing on the grass.
When asked by Mr Clarke if anyone else came to the door of the house, one witness replied: ‘A woman came to the door and said, “There is nothing wrong with him, don’t mind him”.’
Onlookers tried to stop the blood. Gardaí arrived shortly afterwards and put the injured man into the back of their squad car. Garda Dave O’Leary, who is attached to the Crime Scene Investigation Unit, told the jury that he found two knives in the sink.
After lunch a witness statement by Paula Farrell’s daughter, Seana Farrell, was read to the court. This state- ment said she had been told on the night in question that her mother had stabbed someone. It continued: ‘I could see my ma standing at the front door. She was crying and had her hands over her face, saying what had she done, she was saying, “He attacked me, I didn’t mean it”.’
Ms Farrell, with an address at Rathmullen Park, Drogheda, Co. Louth, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr McQuillan on January 1, 2014.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy.