A man told the Central Criminal Court yesterday that he had killed his girlfriend because he "lost control" after she taunted him about his sexual failure. Mr Gerard Mullane said he had never intended to harm Ms Valerie Linehan when they quarrelled at his flat in Cork early on December 4th, 1994.
"If it had been my intention I would not be here. I would have pleaded guilty," he said. "My whole world just went after that day." He said he only realised he had done a serious injury to Ms Linehan when he saw blood on his hands. He said he wasn't conscious of having a knife.
Mr Mullane (34), a native of Emly in Co Tipperary, was giving evidence on the third day of his trial for the murder of Ms Linehan (21), of Kilalla Gardens, Knocknaheeney, Cork. He has denied the murder but in admissions read to the court he admitted he had killed Ms Linehan, who died from shock and haemorrhage due to two stab wounds into her chest, one through her body.
The court has heard there were also well developed asphyxial signs, in keeping with manual strangulation. Evidence concluded in the trial yesterday and closing speeches will be made today.
In court yesterday, Mr Mullane said was separated from his wife when he began going out with Ms Linehan in early 1994. He was crazy about Valerie and believed she felt the same and there were no serious rows before the night she died.
Some time before that Valerie believed she was pregnant. Some days before December 4th Valerie had told him by phone she had miscarried.
After work on December 3rd he had about three pints. Later, he and Valerie went to a bar and had seven or eight pints each. Back at his flat they drank cans of beer. In his bedroom he was unable to get an erection and Valerie had said he "couldn't get a hard on and wasn't man enough to do it", he said.
He became "really, really mad" and "just completely lost control". He remembered struggling with her but didn't remember "a whole pile of it". He accepted he had caught her by the throat but said he had no recollection of that.