Witness tells Wilton murder trial that accused had told him he had killed his wife
The witness told the court that Regin Parithapara Rajan (pictured) had told him: ‘I killed Deepa, you can call the police or guards.' File picture: Dan Linehan
The man who denies murdering his wife in Wilton sent his friend a screenshot from his wife’s phone in which she outlined some of her hobbies and described herself as separated and interested in meeting someone.
43-year-old Regin Parithapara Rajan, pleaded not guilty to the single charge of murdering 38-year-old Deepa Paruthiyezhuth Dinamani at their home at Cardinal Court, Wilton, Cork, on July 14, 2023, contrary to common law.
Mahesh Murali, a friend of the accused from Kerala, said the defendant told him that he and the deceased were quarrelling, and Mr Murali’s impression was that the couple did not understand each other.
The defendant told him “that she is scolding me for simple things… he told me Deepa told him to leave the bedroom… he told me she was looking for a divorce.”
The defendant sent Mr Murali a screenshot from his wife’s phone in which she stated that her status was separated but not divorced and that she was “looking for someone I can have good conversation with, to begin with” and she outlined her hobbies as including reading, cooking and yoga.
The witness suggested to the accused that he give her some space and she might come back to him.
On July 14, 2023, the witness was asked by the accused to collect his five-year-old son from summer camp because he had a job interview, his wife had a work dinner and their car was giving trouble.
The witness and his wife, Sreeja Sumangala, picked up the child, brought him for some food and took him home and tried unsuccessfully to contact the accused by phone. Between 7.30pm and 8pm they drove over to Wilton with the child. There they met the accused and a nurse who was sharing the house.
After the couple and the nurse – who was a friend of theirs - went for a walk together they returned and spoke to the defendant again. Mr Murali smelled alcohol, saw that the defendant’s eyes were red and thought he was drunk.
“Regin wanted to talk to me in private. We came out the front door. He told me – it was in our own language – ‘I killed Deepa, you can call the police or guards. She is on top – I understood, on the first floor.’
"I was just shocked, shattered. I wasn’t able to speak… I just came back to the ladies. I said he is telling that he killed Deepa. The ladies were shocked. They started crying.
Mahesh Murali testified:
The witness agreed with defence senior counsel Brian McInerney that in Kerala, marriage would be highly valued and divorce would not.
Sreeja Sumangala testified that she also spoke to the defendant that evening: “I asked him why did you do that? He said ‘She was not good’.”
Another witness Karen Allen sourced the property at Cardinal Court for the family as part of her work as a relocation agent who found properties for professional people coming to work in the area.
In relation to the deceased she said: “I had a good rapport with her. I found her very bubbly… very outgoing and bubbly. She was outgoing and successful. He (the deceased) was quiet and shy.”
Ms Allen agreed under cross-examination by senior counsel Brian McInerney with his proposition: “It appeared that she wore the trousers in the relationship.” Ms Allen said: “I thought she was very confident. I thought it was a language barrier, she did all the speaking… I was very fond of her.”
Laura Buckley, property agent, also met the couple and recalled talking to the defendant two days before the fatal incident: “He said he was going for interviews the following week. I said that is great news, that is exciting, you can get out and meet people.”
She said he told her that his work permit had come through and Ms Buckley remarked to him that “his head must be wrecked from being indoors all the time”.
The trial before Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and a jury of seven women and five men continues.
