Jurors trying the case of a 38-year-old woman charged with the murder of two-year-old toddler were shown CCTV footage on Tuesday which the prosecution says shows the woman leaving the apartment complex where the child was found.
Karen Harrington of Lakelands Crescent, Mahon, Cork denied the murder of Santina Cawley at Elderwood Park, Boreenamanna Road, on July 5th 2019 when she was arraigned at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
On Tuesday, the jury of seven men and five women heard from Det Garda Pat Russell that gardaí had harvested hundreds of hours of CCTV footage from various locations in the Cork city area as part of their investigation.
Det Garda Russell told how he had obtained CCTV footage from both commercial premises and private homes on the Boreenamanna Road, Blackrock and Cork city centre in the days after the toddler’s murder.
And Det Garda Maurice O’Connor went through various clips with the jury, including footage of both Ms Harrington and Santina’s father, Michael Cawley which the State alleged showed their movements on the night.
Earlier, prosecution counsel, Sean Gillane SC had outlined what the State would present in evidence including footage from Elderbrook estate where the body of Santina Cawley was found with extensive injuries on July 5th 2019.
He told the opening day of the trial that doctors at Cork University Hospital worked to save her but without success. “She had sustained devastating injuries with no chance of recovery and she was pronounced dead at 9.20am.”
On Tuesday, Mr Gillane SC adduced evidence from Det O’Connor, who said the footage showed a female, believed to be Ms Harrington, leaving her apartment at Elderbrook just as Santina’s father, Michael Cawley returned home.
He said that footage showed Mr Cawley arriving at the apartment at 5.10am and entering the premises by an upstairs balcony door. A minute later a female left the apartment by a lower floor door at 5.11.am
He said that gardaí were able, using CCTV footage, to trace the movements of this woman, believed to be Ms Harrington as she exited the Elderbrook apartment complex and walked along the Boreenamanna Road.
They continued to trace her on CCTV footage walking down Crab Lane and onto Blackrock Road before turning on to Church Road and crossing the car park of Blackrock GAA club at 5.41am, he said.
Earlier, Mr Gillane had told the jury that the prosecution would produce CCTV footage of Santina’s father, Michael Cawley at various locations around Cork city at a time when a witness heard a child screaming in the apartment.
Det Garda O’Connor traced the movements of a man, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt which the State believes was Mr O’Connor, as he left the Elderbrook complex at 3.16am and walked towards Cork city centre.
He is then seen at various locations around the city until 5.07am when he re-entered Ms Harrington’s apartment and found Santina badly injured.
The footage also showed gardaí responding to a call from a neighbour, Dylan Olney who contacted them after he became concerned when he heard a woman shouting and a child screaming in Ms Harrington’s apartment.
The footage shows gardaí arriving at the Elderbrook complex at 4.52am where they meet with Mr Olney before entering the four storey complex and calling at Ms Harrington’s apartment at 4.56am.
However, the footage shows them leaving some five minutes later having failed to get a reply and or see anything suspicious.
The case continues
