Images of death and violent sex fantasies dominate Dwyer trial
Ex-partner claims accused would pretend to stab her during intercourse
IT WAS a week in which the families of both victim and accused continued to suffer through graphic evidence, as curious onlookers queued and leaned forward in the public gallery to devour every piece of salacious detail in the trial of architect Graham Dwyer, who is accused of murdering childcare worker Elaine O’Hara.
The court had already heard evidence from men in contact with the tragic 36year-old from Killiney, whose remains were found in undergrowth in the Dublin Mountains on September 13, 2013.
The men detailed their interactions with her via internet BDSM [Bondage, Discipline, Sadism and Masochism] and fetish sites.
But when the former girlfriend of the accused gave evidence on Friday – offering chilling details of violent fantasies allegedly held by the father of her son – a new pall fell over the room.
The revelations from Emer McShea came after days of legal arguments earlier in the week, perhaps injecting even more of a shock factor into the bombshell testimony because of the preceding legalese.
Ms McShea, who had a relationship with Mr Dwyer when they were both in college, said that he used to bring a knife into the bedroom and pretend to stab her during sex.
Ms McShea, who in 1992 gave birth to the couple’s son, Sennan McShea, told the court that Mr Dwyer had admitted to violent fantasies.
Prosecutor Seán Guerin asked her: ‘One night in the course of the relationship, you had a discussion with him about fantasies?’ ‘Yes,’ she answered. ‘He told you that his fantasy involved stabbing a woman while having sex with her,’ Mr Guerin continued.
‘Yes, that is right,’ Ms McShea responded.
‘He began to bring a kitchen knife into your shared bedroom and he would pretend to stab you during sex. I don’t think he actually did it,’ Mr Guerin continued. Ms McShea again concurred. Her son, along with Mr Dwyer’s brother, Brendan, were also called by the prosecution during Friday’s hearing – the 22nd day of proceedings so far.
At one stage during the week, Mr Dwyer’s two brothers had to stand in the public gallery; the three-seater bench allocated to the accused’s family was already occupied by his mother, father and sister.
Mr Dwyer occasionally caught their stares and nodded back, always saving the parting glance for the woman on the right, his mother – even as the court was shown explicit messages from an 083 number to Ms O’Hara.
During the week, it was revealed that the victim received an email from an adult website user Architect72, who said he would ‘gladly’ carry out what he had promised – ‘regardless of the consequences’.
Ms O’Hara also made several online visits to an adult website to view a profile called Architect77, the Central Criminal Court has heard.
And her laptop contained a document that was last modified and created by AD Wejchert – the name of the architects firm where Foxrock resident Dwyer worked.
Detective Garda Bríd Wallace, of the Garda computer crime unit, said Ms O’Hara received emails from fetishboy@gmail.com, an address connected to alt.com user Architect72.
The court heard that an email was sent from ‘fetishboy’ to Submissive391@gmail.com, an address the garda said was connected to a profile Ms O’Hara was using on alt.com.
An email sent on September 19, 2008, said: ‘Just so you know, I am always thinking of you and hoping you are safe and not suffering too much on the inside.
‘Any time you want I will gladly carry out what I promised I would do, regardless of the consequences.
‘All you have to do is ring me from a phone box and say where and when.
‘Even if it is months or years away I am always waiting.’
Other shocking evidence presented to the court during the week included pictures of a wounded Ms O’Hara in various stages of dress; a slavery contract found downloaded on her computer; purported letters to her therapist; and graphic pictures of hanged women and books detailing how to kill on her laptop.
The trial continues.
‘He began to bring a knife into the bedroom’ ‘I will gladly carry out what I promised to do’