Brother of deceased tells Wilton murder trial his sister wanted a divorce from accused husband

The brother of the Indian woman found dead with her throat cut at her new home in Wilton testified by video link from Bangalore today that she had wanted a divorce but her husband said “he would not let her go.” 

Ullas Dinamani gave evidence on day five of the murder trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork where 43-year-old Regin Parithapara Rajan, is accused of the single charge of murdering 38-year-old Deepa Paruthiyezhuth Dinamani at their home at Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, on July 14 2023, contrary to common law.

Mr Dinamani said that the late Deepa Dinamani was his only sibling. Describing their family life in Kerala he also said, “She was ambitious, very studious, a good student, really good-humoured and a great sister.” 

Qualifying as an accountant she worked in India and in London before returning to India and then moving with her husband and son to Cork four months before her death. Her brother said she had remained friendly with colleagues and managers with whom she had worked, even after leaving those jobs and they continued to speak highly of her.

He said his sister and her husband met through an online site, not for dating but for getting married, and they did marry three months after meeting.

Mr Dinamani said that his sister and her husband both told him that there were problems in the marriage and they were not getting along with each other.

“My sister wanted a divorce and Regin was not ready to… He said in one conversation he would not let her go,” the witness said.

The deceased woman’s brother paid for him to see a counsellor and the deceased arranged to get a contact number for a counsellor. Mr Dinamani suggested to Regin that it would be better if he and Deepa lived apart and that they could both contribute for the benefit of their child. But the witness said it was their decision.

Brian McInerney, defence senior counsel, said it was clear from the answers the defendant had given to Seán Gillane prosecution senior counsel that Mr Dinamani cared deeply for his late sister and that they had a close bond. The witness agreed.

Mr McInerney put to him some of the details of the statement he had made to the gardaí where he said that he never got the impression from Deepa that she was scared of Regin and that she never said she was frightened by him. He said that she indicated that she was frustrated and unhappy in the relationship.

The accused told gardaí during questioning that he was not in employment in Cork but was applying for jobs and had worked for 19 years before coming to Cork. He said he had graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2003 and had been the manager of a company in India.

The trial will go into its second week on March 31 before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of seven women and five men.