Murder trial: Scarlett Faulkner 'petrified' of suspect before Tipperary attack
Witnesses at the Central Criminal Court testified that Scarlett Faulkner feared the woman now on trial for her murder before the fatal assault in Birdhill, Co Tipperary.
Witnesses describe fear and frantic pursuit before Birdhill killing
The Central Criminal Court heard on the second day of a murder trial that Scarlett Faulkner was "petrified" of a 41-year-old woman — now accused of killing her — in the period before the fatal assault at Birdhill, Co Tipperary, last March. The Irish Independent reports that Ms Faulkner died on 13 April following the incident, which occurred on 21 March.
The 41-year-old woman and a 17-year-old are jointly on trial charged with Ms Faulkner's murder. Neither can be named in order to protect the identity of the minor. Prosecutors allege the pair engaged in a joint enterprise to find and harm Ms Faulkner after the older woman discovered her estranged husband was in a relationship with her.
Apartment confrontation described by witnesses
A witness told the court that Ms Faulkner had visited the apartment she shared with her partner on the day in question, as Ms Faulkner's boyfriend was a friend of his. The witness said Ms Faulkner had been "petrified" of her boyfriend's ex-wife and believed the woman intended to harm her. Ms Faulkner had originally planned to spend the day with her sisters and was reluctant to leave with her boyfriend, but did so out of fear, the witness said.
The witness said the 41-year-old accused later entered the apartment shouting and cursing, demanding to know where her ex-husband and Ms Faulkner were. She was described as highly aggressive and warned those present not to contact gardaí before leaving. The witness's partner sustained a bleeding lip during the incident.
Under cross-examination, it was put to the witness that the accused fully accepted she had been at the apartment shouting and asking for her ex-husband, and that she had told them not to call gardaí — but that she had not mentioned Ms Faulkner by name. It was also put to the witness that her evidence regarding the accused asking specifically for Ms Faulkner was absent from her earlier statements to gardaí.
Second witness corroborates account
Chelsea Poneyi, who rented a room in the same apartment, told the court she had seen Ms Faulkner and her boyfriend there on the day. Ms Poneyi said drug use was frequent in the apartment and they generally stayed in their own room to avoid involvement. She and her partner had only stayed two months as they had been homeless at the time.
Ms Poneyi said the 41-year-old accused had arrived at the apartment and, in a raised voice, demanded to know where her ex-husband was, also mentioning Ms Faulkner. Ms Poneyi also noticed a young man present who was holding a small baseball bat. She later administered first aid to a housemate who had an injured lip and head.
Jeffrey Buckley, Ms Poneyi's partner, described Ms Faulkner's boyfriend as a frequent visitor who came to the apartment to take drugs. He told gardaí the accused had arrived on 21 March wearing a dressing gown and pyjamas and was "frantic" and behaved like a "bull in a china shop", asking where her ex-husband was and saying "I know you are hiding him."
Phone footage played to jury
The jury was shown video footage recovered from the accused's phone, capturing her visit to her ex-husband's family home in search of him. In the recording she can be heard saying: "I thought you said he was out here, where is he? There is the trailer he got for his crack head prostitute. You told my brother he was here."
Addressing another family member, she said her husband "stayed here last night, did he stay here last night with the crack head prostitute? You smelly aul yoke." She also said: "I promise ye, you will suffer like our Lord. You may pick out another plot for him, he's dead. He is nothing to me but a bag of dirt. Get the wedding photos that I ripped up in pieces and throw them on top of her."
In-laws give evidence
The accused woman's parents-in-law both gave evidence. Her mother-in-law said she had never met Scarlett Faulkner and acknowledged she might also feel angry and act violently in similar circumstances. She described finding torn-up wedding photos which she presumed her daughter-in-law had left behind. Under cross-examination, she said she had no knowledge that her son had been violent toward his wife or that the accused had regularly had to stay in a refuge, adding that her daughter-in-law had never used such language toward her before.
The father-in-law confirmed the accused had confronted him about his son's whereabouts. He said he later warned his son that "they were out on the roads looking for him." At that time, Ms Faulkner was in a van with his son. He told the court he would "regret to the day he died" that he had not taken her out of the van and brought her into his home. He said he was ashamed and embarrassed when he looked at the Faulkner family, whom he had known for years without any disagreement. He agreed with defence counsel that his daughter-in-law was loud and abusive when she lost her temper.
Eyewitness accounts from the road
Witness Niamh Floyd told the court she was travelling with family to a football match on 21 March when they observed a car and a van making contact on the link road near Birdhill. When the vehicles stopped, she saw a man emerge holding what appeared to be an axe or hammer and strike the rear glass of the car.
As her car turned to leave, a woman ran toward them, appearing frightened and grabbing at the windscreen wiper and wing mirror. Ms Floyd said those in the car locked their doors out of concern for their own safety. As they drove away she looked back and saw another woman running after the first. They subsequently phoned gardaí and requested an ambulance in case anyone had been injured.
The trial continues.
Source: Irish Independent