Paramedic tells Cork murder trial of 'gruesome scene' and 'explosion risk'

The 31-year-old man on trial for murdering his partner, who was found with numerous stab wounds, and arson of their apartment told a paramedic who arrived at the scene that he loved his partner and was going to propose to her.

31-year-old Adam Corcoran is on trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork on the charge of murdering mother of two, Daena Walsh at their home at John Barry House, Midleton on August 2, 2024, and with arson of the apartment.

Paramedic Alan Fitzgerald said of the scene they encountered in the apartment that Friday afternoon: “It was a gruesome scene, to be honest.” 

“Adam Corcoran had a substantial amount of blood on him. I considered him to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs to a fairly significant extent.

“(Daena Walsh had) absolutely catastrophic injuries — there was a very significant amount of blood and very significant injuries to her chest. No breathing. It was not possible for her to have a pulse.” 

Asked by Donal O’Sullivan, prosecution senior counsel, if there was any point in attempting resuscitation, Mr Fitzgerald replied: “No, certainly not.” 

Smoke was coming from the kitchen and he said: “We looked over at the cooker area. A cannister exploded. Creeslough (where the fatal explosion occurred at a service station in Donegal) was in the media a lot. 

"And I thought it was a gas cooker and Jesus, this could be far more serious and there were more apartments in the building.”

His colleague Alan Burke gave similar evidence and referred to what he called “an explosion risk”.

Mr Fitzgerald said that Adam Corcoran spoke to him later in the back of the ambulance and: “he said he loved her, he said she self-harmed multiple times before and he said he was going to propose to her.” 

Paramedic Alan Sheehan said: “There was an active fire on top of the cooker with aerosols on top of the cooker. One of those aerosols went flying across the room. 

"That was when we thought it was unsafe and decided to leave. Unfortunately, we felt the patient (Daena Walsh) was beyond help.

“We checked for signs of life. We could see wounds that were quite evident — a very substantial fatal chest wound through the sternum, a laceration to the right side of the neck and partial amputation of the left arm.” 

Earlier, at 4.06pm that afternoon, emergency call taker, Shannon Kealy, said a caller identifying himself as Adam Corcoran said his partner Daena Walsh had stabbed herself in the stomach and was bleeding out.

Detective Garda David Kelleher played a recording of the 999 call to the judge and jury, in which the caller can be heard saying: “I don’t know what to do… I need (ambulance) ASAP… Daena Walsh, Daena Walsh… Get here as fast as you can. 

"My partner, she stabbed herself in the stomach. You need to get here as fast as ye can… I got into the house, she was on the floor.” 

The call-taker asked: “Is she breathing?” The caller replied: “No, no, she could be dead, I don’t know… On the floor, bleeding out, like… She is 27… She has gone through a lot. She is going through a lot of stuff… Please, please, please, even if a patrol car comes.” 

Oswin Pinto, who was living at another apartment in John Barry House saw Adam Corcoran at the door of apartment 4 at around 2pm and he appeared to be having a normal conversation with someone inside the apartment as he carried an umbrella in his hand.

By 4pm Mr Pinto got a call to return to the building because the alarm was going off and he arrived back shortly after 4pm.

“I could hear the alarm, I saw Adam across the street. He was on the phone talking to someone. He got in with me… When I saw him his face seemed a little bruised,” Mr Pinto said.

The witness checked his own apartment and returned to Mr Corcoran’s apartment and heard him sobbing and crying.

“I noticed there was blood on the floor. I saw Adam and Daena. I saw Daena lying on the floor. Adam was beside her. She looked dead to me — stab wounds to the chest and her throat was slit. 

"Adam was sitting beside her. He was on the phone. He asked me whether I thought she was dead. I said I don’t know… I was looking for a fire extinguisher but Adam told me to get out so I left,” he said.

Cross-examined by Brendan Grehan, defence senior counsel, the witness was asked if he touched the deceased. 

He said: “Something felt very off, I had just moved to the country, I thought it better I would not… I thought there was more to this.” 

The trial continues before a jury of eight men and four women and Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.