A Cavan man accused of murdering his wife said a prayer moments after his wife and mother of their four children was shot at the family home, the jury in his trial heard.
Oliver Kierans (57) of Drumbannon, Bailieborough in Cavan has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia Kierans (54) on September 5th, 2013, at the house.
He also pleaded not guilty to unlawful possession of a 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun and not guilty to possession of the same shotgun with intent to endanger life.
Det Garda Jim Mathews told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that in Garda interviews the accused said he was going to shoot himself.
When asked by gardaí why the accused and his wife had gone to the second-floor bedroom of their home on the September 5th, he replied: “I brought her up to show her I was going to do away with myself.”
When asked where the gun had come from, he said: “In the room – I took it out to shoot myself.”
The jury heard that while in the room the gun went off and the accused said there was “blood everywhere”.
Det Mathews said the accused told him: “The thing goes off and there was blood, a lot of blood.” He then told gardaí: “I said a prayer. I tried to close Pat’s eyes but they wouldn’t close”.
When asked if he had drunk alcohol, the accused said: “I had surely drink on me.”
He explained in a previous Garda interview that he had bought the gun to shoot pheasants and kept it under the bed in case of intruders.
The court heard from Garda Cathal Buggy that on September 7th, while he accompanied the accused to the bathroom in Cavan General hospital, “he appeared quite distressed. He put his hands on his head and stated ‘what have I done to my poor Pat, why didn’t I take myself’?”
The court heard that the accused had told him he had an argument with his wife, she had come towards him, the gun had gone off and she was dead on the floor.
Garda Buggy confirmed that the accused had stated that the argument was over a ghost, someone he was having an affair with but that didn’t exist.
The jury heard that the accused told Garda Buggy that when he went to the pub (on September 5th) he had hoped to finish things.
In cross examination by Mr Anthony Sammon SC, Garda Buggy confirmed that he understood the accused to mean he would take his own life.
The trial continues before Ms Justice Aileen Donnelly and a jury of five women and seven men.