Wilton murder trial hears recording of call made to garda station saying 'I killed my wife'
Regin Parithapara Rajan (pictured) has 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. File picture: Dan Linehan
The trial of a man accused of murdering his wife at their home in Wilton heard evidence on Wednesday of her body being found wrapped in a duvet on a blood-soaked bed in the main bedroom while a bloodied knife, a wedding ring and a note were on a desk.
Detective Sergeant Michelle O’Leary of the serious crime unit at Bishopstown garda station described this scene to Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford and the jury of seven women and five men at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
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.
Crime scene examiner, Detective Garda John Twomey, read the note which was found on the open page of a spiral notepad. It was addressed to the couple’s five-year-old child.
Det. Garda Twomey said he struggled to read the full note because of the nature of the writing when he first saw it but attempted to read it in the witness box.
He said the note read: “I love you so much. Please forgive me for what I did as your mum was having…” The detective said at this point in his reading of the note that it said something he could not make out and he then read, “and his name was Jay.” There were other words which he said he could not make out and there were some phone numbers, the crime scene examiner testified.
CCTV evidence was also given of what Detective Garda Dave Hickey described as the purchase of “the potential murder weapon” two days earlier.
At lunchtime on Wednesday July 12, 2023, he purchased in his local Tesco at Wilton Shopping Centre a Go Cook brand kitchen knife for €16, along with a bottle of Jameson whiskey and a bottle of flavoured water. He brought a re-usable plastic shopping bag, paid by Revolut and tapped his Tesco Clubcard.
The jury heard the testimony of Derek Foley, a call handler at Anglesea Street garda station, who testified that he received a call from a man identifying himself as the defendant and saying he had killed his wife and the guards should send someone to arrest him.
A recording of the 999 call was played to the jury. As soon as the 999 call was answered by the person who would allocate it to gardaí or other emergency services, the caller is heard saying: “I killed my wife, that is why I am phoning you.” The call was immediately referred to gardaí.
When he was put through to garda control room, the caller said: “I killed my wife.” The reply was: “No problem at all, can I check your Eircode… can I take your name, caller.” Derek Foley said in evidence that as soon as he got the Eircode from the caller, gardaí were immediately dispatched to the scene.
The call continues: “What did you do?” The reply came: “I stabbed her with a knife.”
Two gardaí from the armed support unit arrived at the scene, Detective Garda Tony Devane carrying a taser, and Detective Garda Patrick O’Toole armed with a Sig Sauer, and found gardaí and members of the public on the road.
The armed officers announced themselves loudly in the house. The accused walked out, he was handcuffed by Detective Garda Brian English and asked to kneel down outside the house before being taken away. He was searched and three mobile phones were recovered from him.
Inside the house the two armed officers went upstairs to the main bedroom and found the deceased woman wrapped in a duvet on the bed. Det. Sgt Michelle O’Leary said there was bloodstaining on the wall, and the deceased was partially naked with a vest-type top pulled up and tangled.
“It was clear that she was deceased and that any medical intervention was not going to assist,” Det. Sgt O’Leary said. The trial continues.
