The Santina Cawley murder trial prosecution said Karen Harrington had given a lot of peripheral details but left a massive hole in the middle.

The prosecution and defence both referred to a doughnut with a hole in the middle but the defence said it was still up to the prosecution to prove the case and that they had not done so.

Prosecution senior counsel Seán Gillane said of Karen Harrington’s position in the face of the evidence, “There is this doughnut-shaped account consisting of extensive peripheral details with a massive hole in the middle. 

"She seems unable to utter a single syllable in terms of what happened to Santina Cawley.

“It is incredible that this is so given that she says she settled, her, took off her clothes (because she was hot) and lay down beside her. She says she did not notice any of the injuries. She has not noticed the child is injured from head to toe.

“Michael Cawley trusted her (the accused). He had no reason to believe harm would come to that child.

“When you stand back from the case and look at the evidence, there is only one conclusion – Karen Harrington is guilty of the murder of Santina Cawley.” 

Defence comments 

Brendan Grehan defence senior counsel said, “The evidence is presented as a deluge you cannot resist. 

"Her position is that she did not murder Santina. That has been her position. The fact that she cannot explain what happened is not enough. 

"She cannot explain – she has not made an attempt to explain it.

“What she does say is she did not do this because she could not do this. I say her character does matter, that she is a woman in her 30s with no history of violence.

“The fact that she cannot explain it – or that there is a doughnut in the case – the prosecution still have to prove the case. Three years down the line she is absolutely insisting she did not harm Santina Cawley. She did not harm any child or anyone.” 

Mr Justice Michael MacGrath is addressing the jury on legal aspects of the case and evidence for them to consider.

38-year-old Karen Harrington of Lakelands Crescent, Mahon, Cork, denies the murder of Santina Cawley at Elderwood Park, Boreenamanna Road, on July 5, 2019.