Defence continue closing speech in Kiely murder trial
The behaviour of a youth directly after the rape and murder of a 22-year-old Cork woman was not in keeping with guilt, a defence lawyer has told a jury.
The 18-year-old accused cannot be named for legal reasons. He denies the rape and murder of Ms Rachel Kiely, aged 22, at the Regional Park, Ballincollig, Co Cork on October 26, 2000.
As defence lawyer Blaise O'Carroll SC continued his closing speech to the jury today, he said the behaviour of the accused in the hours after Rachel Kiely was raped and murdered was perfectly normal and ran "counter to the notion that sometime shortly before that, he had turned into a monster, accosted Rachel Kiely and raped and murdered her."
DNA and fibre evidence links the accused to the deceased, but the defence lawyer has attacked the DNA evidence. He said it was based on garda witnesses responsible for its collection and delivery appearing in the witness box with a "trust us" approach to their evidence.
That was "just not good enough", according to Mr O'Carroll.
The defence closing speech continues in the trial before a jury and Mr Justice Butler.
