Rachel O'Reilly tried to defend herself as she was struck on the head a number of times suffering a fractured skull which caused her death, her murder trial jury heard today.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy told the jury at the Central Criminal Court that Rachel died from head injuries. "She had been struck several times on the head fracturing her skull," Dr Cassidy said.
It was the sixth day of the trial of Joe O'Reilly (35) of Lambay View, Baldarragh, The Naul, Co Dublin who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his 30 year-old wife and mother of their two children at the family home on October 4 th, 2004.
The jury heard that O'Reilly tried to defend herself
Dr Cassidy said that Rachel had eight lacerations on the top and back of her head. "These could be caused by a minimum of four separate blows or up to nine separate blows." She said that injuries to the forehead indicated that Rachel could have been standing upright when she was struck.
She said that the injuries to the back of the head and below the right ear were consistent with the fracture of the skull and indicated that they were due to forceful and heavy blows from a weapon.
"These would have been caused when she was on the ground," she added. She said the left side of her head would have been on the ground while the blows were struck to the right side of her head. She said that the injuries behind the ear would have rendered her unconscious and she added "while unconscious she would have inhaled blood."
"She appeared to have made some attempt to defend herself as there were injuries to her arms as she attempted to avoid the blows," she added.
Dr Cassidy said that Rachel may have tried to elude her attacker. "The head injuries would not have caused immediate death and she could have lain unconscious for some hours prior to her dying," she added.
Dr Cassidy said that there was no evidence of sexual assault and in her opinion "death was due to blunt force trauma to her head, skull fracture, complications from inhalation of blood and scalp contusions."
Dr Cassidy said that gardai showed her a wooden spar for decking from outside the O' Reilly house and she added: "This type of implement or something similar could have caused the injuries to the head."
She estimated the time of death at around midday on October 4th, 2004 but with the margin of error death could have been within the period from 9.00 am to 3.00 pm.
The trial, being heard by Mr Justice Barry White, resumes tomorrow.