A babysitter today wept in court as she looked at photographs of the daughters of a man claimed to have been murdered by his wife and her lover.
Ms Heather Edwards, of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was looking after Mr Gerald McGinley's two girls the night he disappeared in August 2000.
The heavily decomposed body of McGinley (34) was found across the border in Co Leitrim in June 2001 by a schoolgirl walking in the forest.
It is claimed by the prosecution his wife and her lover were driven by "passion" to bludgeon him to death and that his remains were transported to Co Leitrim.
Miss Edwards told Belfast's Laganside Crown Court Mr McGinley asked her to babysit on Saturday August 12th, 2000 so that he and his wife Julie could go out to the Fort Lodge Hotel in Enniskillen.
As she was presented with photographs of the McGinleys' children Miss Edwards was visibly upset and a break in proceedings was taken.
"Gerry phoned to ask me to babysit at about 9.50pm," she said. I agreed to do it and he said they wouldn't be home later than 12 or 1am.
"I heard the car coming up the lane about 2.30 a.m. Julie came into the house through the front hall but I didn't see Gerry.
"She pointed out she had phoned from Fort Lodge to say she couldn't get Gerry to leave. I told her the phone hadn't rung.
"She went down the hall and pressed 1471. She said I must have nodded off."
Miss Edwards said Mrs McGinley offered to drive her home, and when she got into the car she asked her where Mr McGinley was.
"She replied to me that he was round the back," she said. "I got into the car, looked up and as I looked up I could see a man walking round the corner of the house.
"He was wearing a white t-shirt. He went into the house." Miss Edwards said that when he left earlier that night Mr McGinley was wearing a blue, long-sleeved shirt.
The next morning Miss Edwards went back to the house with her sister to return the girls' toys.
"I didn't speak to Julie that time. We usually all went in but it seemed that we weren't asked in.
"She just seemed eager to get rid of us."
She said two men - known to her as Michael Monaghan and PJ McPadden - were outside the house at the time.
Miss Edwards said about a week later she saw Mrs McGinley again. "I mentioned something about the white t-shirt to her. She said `You're very observant'. She said `You should be looking for a solicitor'."
Ms Julie McGinley (31) and Michael Anthony Monaghan (44) both of Enniskillen, are jointly accused of killing Mr McGinley. Both deny murder.
Mr Terence Mooney QC, for the prosecution, has told the jury the pair were led by "one of the most powerful motives" of passion and infatuation to remove the obstacle in the way of their love affair. The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.
PA