Man convicted of murdering mother of three, Nicola Collins

A man was found guilty of murdering his girlfriend, who was found beaten to death in his apartment with 125 different injuries to the body.

Cathal O. Sullivan (45) was sentenced today for the murder of the mother of three children, Nicola Collins (38) by a jury of the Central Criminal Court in Cork.

The jury of nine men and three women had deliberated on their verdict for nearly four hours in two days after a three-week trial.

Judge Eileen Creedon was informed that the jury had found the accused guilty of the murder of Ms. Collins following a unanimous verdict.

O 'Sullivan of Popham's Road, Farranree, Cork and formerly of Charleville, in County Cork, was sentenced to life imprisonment.

He remained impbadive when the verdict was handed down and the life sentence was pronounced.

The sentencing hearing learned that in 2013, O. Sullivan was sentenced to a three-year suspended sentence for violent badault on another woman.

This badault prevented the young woman from leaving her property for three days. She was then found to have kidney, liver and head injuries.

Nicola Collins' sister, Carly, said in a statement from the victim that the character of the deceased had been "vilified" during the trial.

"We were subjected to the defamation of Nic's character in order to explain what happened on the night of March 26, 2017," she said.

"She was not the person described in court – it added to the pain and pain we have already experienced."

"The vile accusations we've heard in recent days have left us confused and embittered."

Carly said her family would still be haunted by the terror endured by Nicola in his last moments.

O & # 39; Sullivan had denied the murder of Mrs. Collins, originally from Kerry, to her apartment located on Popham's Road on March 27, 2017.

The science graduate insisted that Ms. Collins had been accidentally injured after throwing her to the ground as a result of consuming cider and that she then fell into the bath.

However, bruises and abrasions were noted in almost all parts of Mrs. Collins' body.

Emergency services found Mrs. Collins, naked on the floor of O 'sullivan' s apartment, legs leaning on a bed.

O 'Sullivan was drinking beer while paramedics were trying to revive Mrs. Collins and were initially refusing to leave the bedroom, explaining that he "had a habit of seeing people who died and that" He preferred to stay.

Ms. Collins had arrived at the accused's apartment on March 23 and the couple was drinking together and watching television.

On March 24, she was filmed outside the apartment by CCTV footage. Paramedics and Gardaí found deadly wounds at dawn on March 27.

In a statement from Garda, O. Sullivan said that Ms. Collins' death was "serious".

"It was deep enough – it was she (Mrs. Collins) dying with me, she was happy, we were singing songs before her death."

O & # 39; Sullivan had also claimed that the couple were in bed watching "Young Offenders" when Ms. Collins, after drinking cider, was suddenly thrown at him.

His injuries were accidental, he explained, as he acted to repel her.

The defendant also claimed that she had fallen.

However, prosecutor Tom Creed SC urged the jury to listen to the "silent witness" in the case.

The prosecution maintained throughout the trial that the accused had beaten Ms. Collins to death.

Mr. Creed had urged the jury to consider the testimony of two medical experts, Dr. Margaret Bolster, an Assistant State Pathologist, and Dr. Michael Jansen, a neuropathologist from Cork.

"The silent witness is Nicola Collins and she speaks through pathology," said Creed.

"She's talking through the pathologist (Dr. Bolster) because the pathologist is interpreting what she found from Nicola Collins, the deceased."

"Dr. Jansen also speaks for the silent witness."

Mr. Creed urged the jury to consider that the young mother had been affected by 125 different injuries when she was found by the emergency services – including a broken jaw and a missing tooth.

He said that his jaw bones had actually been knocked to the ground.

"His mandible has been moved," he said.

Mr. Creed stated that the extent of Ms. Collins' injuries, including bruises on her face, head and body, was not consistent with the accidental causes relied on by the defendant.

Dr. Bolster had discovered that the fatal wound to the head had been caused by blunt trauma.

Mrs. Collins had a 117 g blood clot on her brain resulting from a blunt trauma to her head.

Mr. Creed stated that the defendant also offered his testimony in a "calculated and ruthless manner" about his deceased girlfriend.

"By ruthless, I mean without remorse," he said.

Mr. Creed also argued that the defendant's description of the deceased at trial amounted to "character bashing".

Defense counsel Colman Cody had insisted that the relationship between his client and Ms. Collins was "caring and loving" while having her "turbulent moments".

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