Detective tells court of finding victim's body
A German tourist found dead in dense undergrowth was naked from the waist down and her head was detached from her body, a court heard today.
Journalist Bettina Poeschel, aged 28, disappeared on September 25, 2001 during a week’s holiday in Ireland with friends.
She had decided to spend the last day of her holiday travelling towards Newgrange, Co Meath alone.
Detective Inspector Brendan McArdle told Dublin’s Central Criminal Court of the moment he found Ms Poeschel body in dense undergrowth as he searched a field for her in Donore, Co Meath, on October 17, 2001.
He was giving evidence on the third day of the trial of Michael Murphy, aged 42, from Drogheda, Co Meath, who denies murdering the journalist.
Mr McArdle said the body was initially hard to find.
“I came upon the body of a dead woman, she way lying face down and was naked from the waist down apart from black panties that were around the knees,” he told the jury of eight men and four women.
“The upper body was covered in a blue jacket and initially her head was not visible as it was separated from the trunk of her body.”
He said he believed an attempt had been made to conceal the body using thick ground vegetation.
Dr Harpel Singh Glyral also told the court how he had discovered the body after being called to the scene on October 17, 2001.
“I found her lying on her abdomen face down, her soles, calf muscles and palms were in an advanced state of decomposition,” he said.
“I lifted her head which was very, very stiff – her body was in a state of rigor mortis – her head was detached from the neck and faced down.
“Her spinal cord was also detached, that’s how I saw the body.”
Earlier the victim’s sister Cornelia Poeschel told the court how she had travelled from Germany to Ireland to identify the body.
She was shown glasses, a mobile phone and a bag which had all belonged to her sister.
The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.
