Garda tells love triangle trial how he extracted notes of 'what the guards will know' from indentations on page
A garda documents and handwriting expert developed indentations made on a page found in Patrick Quirke's home and discovered somebody had written: "What the guards will know," and details relating to Bobby Ryan's disappearance.
Following on from yesterday's evidence when a garda detailed notes relating to the investigation written on an A4 page found in Mr Quirke's home, Detective Garda Jeremiah Moloney said he examined pages found during the search.
He explained that when a person is writing the pages below can develop indentations that may not be visible to the naked eye. Using an Electrostatic Detection Device, known as an ESDA machine, he said it is possible to develop those indentations.
When he carried out the procedure on the document he said he was able to confidently record on one side of the page that someone had written: "What the gardai will know."
Two lines below that he found the words: "Murdered poss in house." Four lines below that was the word "location" and a question mark.
Further down the page, he found "Mary \ walk \ kids to school?" and the word "yes" with a ring around it.
On line 16 of the page, he found the words: "dispose of clothes \ phone \ any other evidence." On line 25 it read: "Mary had to see him, be with him."
The document also noted: "Mary" followed by something illegible and then: "Needle in haystack." The writing also mentioned that "Bobby stayed in yard, ie two mins \ ten mins."
On the other side of the page, he found the words: "Agitate need water," "Tuesday" and a person's name towards the bottom of the page.
The witness agreed with Lorcan Staines SC for the defence that the indentations he found could have come from multiple pages and that in some places there was so much cross writing that he couldn't make out what was written. He further agreed that he cannot say how many different notes made up either page.
Mr Quirke (aged 50) of Breanshamore, Co Tipperary has pleaded not guilty to the murder of part-time DJ Bobby Ryan. Mr Ryan went missing on June 3, 2011, after leaving his girlfriend Mary Lowry's home at about 6.30am.
His body was found in an underground run-off tank on the farm owned by Ms Lowry and leased by the accused at Fawnagown, Tipperary 22 months later in April 2013. The prosecution claims Mr Quirke murdered Mr Ryan so he could rekindle an affair with the deceased's girlfriend Mary Lowry (aged 52).
The trial continues this afternoon in front of Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury of six men and six women.
