Murder accused testifies to court
A man on trial for murdering his girlfriend’s father in 1987 told gardaí in 2008 that he was glad it was coming to light, a cold-case murder trial has heard.
Colin Pinder (47), of Liverpool, England has pleaded not guilty to murdering 43-year-old Bernard Brian McGrath but guilty to his manslaughter at the victim’s home in Lower Coole, Westmeath.
His co-accused and former mother-in-law, Vera McGrath (aged 61), has pleaded not guilty to murdering her husband on a date between March 10 and April 18, 1987.
The Central Criminal Court was hearing from Detective Sergeant Michael Buckley of the Serious Crime Review Team at the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.
He said that in January 2008, he reviewed the file of the murder investigation begun in 1993. He received DNA samples from Mr McGrath’s sons and bones found in Coole were positively identified as Mr McGrath’s.
He said he went to Mr Pinder’s home in Liverpool later that year. Mr Pinder told them he had agoraphobia and did not want to go to a police station, so they interviewed him in his flat.
Mr Pinder, who is of mixed race, said the deceased told him that ‘no ni**er man was marrying his daughter’ when he first met the father of his girlfriend, Veronica ‘Ronnie’ McGrath.
“He used to leather the kids with a belt,” he said. “He leathered them the night he died.”
He said that he then punched Mr McGrath, who spun around and hit his head off the corner of the range.
“There was a lot of panic. Vera said he wasn’t breathing,” he said. “Ronnie said get an ambulance. I agreed.”
He said that Mrs McGrath warned him that he’d never see his unborn baby if Mr McGrath survived. He claimed that he got whatever money he had and left for London, leaving Mr McGrath lying on the floor.
“I’m not a murderer. I just wanted to give him a good hiding,” he explained. “I’m in bits since this.”
However he said he loved his time in Ireland.
“Quiet, sky full of stars, fishing for pike,” he commented.
“I’m prepared to do time for what I did but not for murder,” he said at the end of the interview. “I feel a lot of remorse for what I’ve done.”
Mr Pinder told the gardaí he would face any charges here without them needing a European arrest warrant and they left.
D Sgt Buckely said that Mr Pinder came to Dublin in February last year to clarify some issues.
“I want to give a truthful account of what happened. It’s been playing on my mind for 20 years,” he said. “I want to get on with my life. I tried to kill myself twice because of this two years ago.”
He described Mr McGrath as a nasty man, who shouted at his family and hit his wife and sons.
“He talked to them like they were dogs,” he said. “He lined them up with their hands by their sides and lectured them.”
He said that he was drinking with his girlfriend and her mother in a local pub on the evening of the killing.
“She was very clingy. She went everywhere with us,” he said of Mrs McGrath.
He said they spoke about ‘what a b**tard’ Mr McGrath was to his family. He claimed that Mrs McGrath said he had given her trouble all her life.
“I said he needs sorting out, a good hiding,” he said, explaining that he meant a beating. “They were all for it.”
He said they went back to the house and Mr McGrath arrived home an hour later.
“He was very abusive because he was after drinking,” recalled Mr Pinder. “He started on the mother first, then on us.”
He said he and his girlfriend weren’t supposed to be there as Mr McGrath had got them a caravan.
“He asked what we were doing there. I said shut up,” he said. “He came at me as if he would punch me so I hit him.”
He said Mrs McGrath said he was dead after his head hit the range.
“Vera said we’d hide him so we put him in a blanket and carried him out the back.” he recalled. “It turned out he wasn’t dead. He was turning around in the blanket and moaning.”
“I seen Vera hit him on the head with a spanner,” he said. “A good whack on the head.”
He said Mrs McGrath then gave the spanner to her daughter and she also hit his head.
He claimed that Mrs McGrath said he was still not dead and that he would have to finish him off or he’d never see his baby. He said he got a concrete mould, threw it at his head and walked inside.
“She came in and said: ‘I think he’s gone now’. I came back out all stressed,” he said.
“Vera said: ‘We’ll bury him at the top of the garden. It’s my property. They’ll never find him’.”
He said he dug a shallow grave and they buried him but Mrs McGrath wanted to burn the body the following morning. He said he lit the fire and it burned for about seven hours and that there was nothing left when he went through the ashes.
“I want to add I’m totally ashamed for what I done,” he said after the interview. “It’s been on my mind for 20 years and I’m glad it’s coming to light.”
The jury also heard from Dr Colin Doherty, a neurologist at St James’ Hospital. He told Conor Devally SC, defending Mr Pinder, that his client’s epilepsy could affect recollection.
He said the anti-depressants he was taking could also affect his memory and concentration.
The trial continues.
