Cork man charged with murder of  partner told gardaí she stabbed herself, court hears

A 27-year-old mother was found at her burning apartment in Midleton with 11 stab wounds including one to her chest that was 11.5 centimetres deep and her partner who went on trial yesterday for murder and arson told gardaí she stabbed herself.

These were the prosecution allegations as 31-year-old Adam Corcoran went on trial on the charge of murdering mother of two, Deana Walsh at their home at John Barry House, Midleton on August 2, 2024, and with arson of the apartment.

Donal O’Sullivan prosecution senior counsel gave the jury an outline of what evidence it was anticipated would be given in the trial but told the jury the outline was not itself evidence.

“The charges relate to events of the afternoon on August 2, 2024 in Midleton at John Barry House which is half way down Main Street, Midleton. The entrance to the house is on the road to Dungourney. It is divided into apartments," he said.

“The circumstances are this: The accused man and Deana Walsh had been in a relationship for a number of years and had two children." 

"They had been there for a number of years, although neither was from there – Ms Walsh was from Wicklow and Mr Corcoran from Ballincollig," said Mr O'Sullivan.

CCTV footage

“You will see some CCTV footage from various premises. You will see a montage of clips. You will see the movement of persons through the afternoon. There is only entrance and exit and it is from the Dungourney side. Just before 3pm that afternoon two people went into that apartment building – the accused man and Deana Walsh. Just after 4pm the accused man left the building.

“He made a 999 call. He said his partner stabbed herself in the stomach and needed assistance. An ambulance responded. Deana Walsh is in fact dead, lying on the floor of the apartment. There are wounds visible on her.

“At the scene at the time some aerosol cans were placed on the ring of the cooker. There was a fire in the process of starting. The ambulance service pulled back. The fire brigade arrived to deal with it. There was a lot of water damage during this.

“Various items were seized by scenes of crime examiners. There are knives located in various locations – one in the living room, another in the bedroom. The knives were examined and blood was found – the blood was that of Deana Walsh.

“The state pathologist carried out the examination. The pathologist will give evidence of 25 separate sharp force injuries – 11 stab wounds and 14 incised wounds.” 

Stab wounds are deeper than their width while incised wounds are wider than their depth.

“The wounds were clustered – on the face, neck, chest, abdomen and upper limbs. The deepest wound was 11.5 centimetres in depth and it penetrated through the sternum. Clothing she was wearing, some of it was lodged in the bone," said Mr O'Sullivan.

Fire

“The wounds would have been consistent with being inflicted with knives. Wounds to the upper limbs – the arms – were consistent with being defensive wounds.

“There was a fire but no soot or debris was found in the airways of the deceased. She was deceased at the time the fire started. Essentially, she died from being stabbed to death.

“The prosecution say, in essence, two people entered the property just before 3pm. One person leaves just after 4pm

“The version of events given by the defendant is that the deceased stabbed herself,” Mr O’Sullivan said in his opening of the case.

The jury of eight men and four women were told by Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that the trial should end by Friday, March 20 but that they should be available until Wednesday, March 25.