SANTINA HAD 53 SEPARATE INJURIES
Crime scene cop tells murder trial of finding hair clumps and blood
LITTLE Santina Cawley sustained 49 external and four internal injuries, a court heard yesterday.
Karen Harrington is on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork charged with murdering the two-yearold at Elderwood Park in Boreenmanna Road on July 5, 2019.
She was in a relationship with Michael Cawley, the father of the deceased, at the time of the alleged offence.
The toddler died a few hours later in hospital after the attack.
Crime Scene Manager Det Garda Stephen Dennehy told the jury of seven men and four women about the extent of the injuries sustained by the toddler.
He said: “She had 49 external injuries and four internal.
“A gold stud earring was present in her right ear similar in size to an earring in the middle of the sitting room floor.
“There was no earring in the left ear.”
Det Garda Dennehy gave evidence that clumps of hair were found inside the door of the Elderwood Park home as well as on a three-seater sofa in the property.
A stained duvet with hair attached to it was also recovered as well as a pair of a child’s leopard print leggings with a nappy inside. The leggings had one sock in them.
Det Garda Dennehy said that there was evidence of a disturbance in the kitchen.
Bloodstained leggings with a floral design belonging to an adult were discovered in a downstairs bedroom.
An examination of the scene where the child was found was carried out on the day of the alleged murder.
Det Garda Dennehy noted contact blood staining inside the door of the apartment and a broken Betty Boop statue on the top of the stairway.
Markers were placed in the living room/kitchen area where the stud earring was found. Markers were also placed in the kitchen where there was a bloodied footmark in the centre of the room.
There was heavy blood staining and drag marks were visible in front of the cooker in the kitchen.
VISIBLE
Hair was visible in the blood. Large blood droplets were also present by a chair and table in front of the dishwasher in the apartment.
A pink top for a child aged 12-18 months which had tear marks and was found on a two-seater sofa was amongst the exhibits.
Smaller and finer blood stains were found in front of the dishwasher as was a broken ashtray.
The trial also heard evidence from Det Garda Eoghain O’callaghan who said that he spoke to the accused, of Lakelands Crescent in Mahon, Cork, outside the property on the morning the death occurred.
Det Garda O’callaghan said that Harrington was in a “distressed state” and grabbing on to his arm. He told the court that the father of the child, Michael Cawley, approached her and a fraught situation developed.
Det Garda O’callaghan stated that Mr Cawley accused Harrington of killing his child.
He shouted: ‘You killed my baby, you monster.”
Under cross examination Defence Counsel Brendan Grehan put it to Det Garda O’callaghan that his client said, “I did yeah” in a sarcastic tone suggesting that the opposite was the case.
Det Garda O’callaghan agreed with the statement made by Mr Grehan. The case continues.
The 12th juror in the case was excused earlier this week.