Bus driver tells Cork murder trial that passenger reminded him of  'Super Mario'

The jury in the Macroom murder trial was yesterday shown a long black-handled carving knife that was found by a bus driver in the cargo hold of a bus.

Garda Mary Malone held up the exhibit as bus driver Paudie McKenna gave evidence of finding the knife which he believed was stained with either rust or dried blood.

32-year-old Daniel Hourigan, who is originally from Farranree in Cork city, and 32-year-old Linda O'Flynn, who is originally from the Hollyhill area of Cork city, both deny the murder of 61-year-old Michael Foley at his home in Macroom between January 31 and February 1 2024. 

Each defendant effectively blames the other. To the murder charge, each of them replied not guilty to murder but guilty of impeding the prosecution of another person.

On February 1 2024 at 11.20am, Paudie McKenna picked up passengers at Macroom on the bus he drove from Tralee to Cork city.

He described a man and woman who got on together and left a black plastic refuse sack after them in the cargo hold. At the end of his workday he looked into the bag.

“Curiosity got the better of me. I said I’d have a look and see was it rubbish or someone’s belongings. I don’t want to throw anyone’s belongings away,” he said.

The first thing he noticed when he tore open a hole in the black plastic bag was a strong smell of something like mouthwash or cleaning product. There were empty alcohol bottles at the bottom of the heavy bag and a pair of what looked like clean new sneakers in a small size.

“Next to the pair of sneakers I saw a long knife. I took the knife out of the bag. I had a good look at the knife,” 

he said.

For safety reasons it was discarded in a skip for metals at the bus depot. It was retrieved by gardaí after they contacted him nine days later. As soon as he was contacted he asked the guard if it was about the man and woman who got on the bus at Macroom.

Describing their appearance, he said that the woman was wearing a lot of layers of clothing and was sweating. “The male was low-sized, he had bushy eyebrows and a bushy moustache and I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but he looked like a kind of Super Mario. That kind of came to my mind,” Mr McKenna said.

He also said: “He looked kind of scared, worried. He had a kind of blank expression on his face.” 

Mr McKenna said that when the bus was only a 100 metres from the stop at Western Road, the woman walked up to the top of the bus and asked if she could get off at the traffic lights instead, telling the driver she was pregnant and needed to use a toilet. He said she and the man got off at that stage and that the black refuse bag was left on the bus.

Cross-examined by Ray Boland, senior counsel on behalf of Daniel Hourigan, the bus driver said of the man he saw that day on the bus: “He seemed out of it, he had a stare in his eyes, his mouth open – a rabbit in the headlights kind of stare.” 

Mr Boland reminded the witness of his comment in his statement to gardaí about the man and the woman. “She was in charge – seemed to be leading him along. She seemed to be more in control.” 

Sergeant Brian Ahern gave evidence of the statements made by another witness who was not present in court, who stayed at Michael Foley’s home occasionally. 

SMALLER BEDROOM

43-year-old Neringa Stalioniene met Michael Foley in November 2022 when she was homeless and using Simon facilities in Cork. He said she could use the smaller bedroom at his home in Macroom and she did so, staying there for weeks or months at a time. 

She said that when he started drinking he would sometimes tell her to get out. She described a platonic relationship between them, adding that he was her father’s age.

Ms Stalioniene said in her statements to gardaí that she slept there on the night of January 31/ the morning of February 1 2024 and did not hear anything unusual.

“At 7.35am on February 1 2024 I met Michael in the corridor of the house. He looked normal, he did not have blood on his face or his head. He told me to get out. I heard voice of a young fellow. A lot of f***, f***, f***. I think it was a man’s voice. I can’t say for definite,” she said.

She returned about five hours later at 12.32pm. 

“I opened the door, It was not locked. I thought he would be sleeping or still drinking. The first sound I heard when I entered was he shouted to get out of my house. 

"He sounded very very drunk. It sounded like something in his throat. I didn’t see him. I did not go further in because he is landlord and I didn’t want any confrontation with him. 

"I didn’t hear anyone in the house this time. I think the TV was on in the background. I closed the door and left the house.” 

At the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford told the jury of nine men and three women that she had other business to attend to in Dublin tomorrow so the trial would not resume until Wednesday, November 12.