Smother

People thought my dad was ruthless, but cross my mam...

You mess with the things she loves, and you're as good as dead.

- (crowd clamouring) - (guard) Get back.

Murdering bitch!

That you, the said accused,

on the 2nd of May, in the County of Clare

within the State, did murder Paul Madigan.

How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?

Not guilty.

He killed her. He killed Grace.

Oh, God.

- Stop it, don't touch him! - He could still be alive.

He's, he's gone, don't touch him, don't touch anything that...

You know, you-you... were never here.

Just go. Please, get out.

We're not going anywhere!

I'll just turn myself in, and I'm just

gonna take what's coming.

No, Mam, you're not doing that. We're not going to let you do that.

No, I'm going to tell the world the truth,

about what he did to Grace,

why I did this, and you know what?

I don't regret it! I just, I don't regret it!

No, Mam, you can't!

Just please, would you just go? Go!

He's a murderer. You're not confessing.

You're not going to prison for him?

Well, then what? What are we gonna do?

What are we gonna do? What?

Okay.

You were asleep.

Paul disturbed a burglar.

They struggled.

This happened.

You woke up hours later and you found him here.

There's gloves in the car.

Okay.

Okay.

Now, I mustn't coach you on your testimony,

but it is better that you know how you're going to respond

to questions from me, and of course, the prosecution.

If you are asked, how did you spend that evening

in the hours preceding Paul's death?

We had a lovely evening.

You know, I went for a swim and, uh,

around ten o'clock, I took a sleeping pill.

Paul kissed me good night

and I was asleep within half an hour.

Do you recall waking?

Yes, uh, I woke around 4:40,

saw Paul was not in bed with me.

Um, the bathroom light wasn't on.

I wasn't worried, Paul often worked in the night if he couldn't sleep.

And, uh, I came down and...

I was expecting to find him in the study, and...

Sorry.

Forensics can read spray patterns like text

and they can tell how long the blood has been drying for.

It's gotta seem like you came down here

and found him hours later tonight.

Okay, we need to get her cleaned up and get rid of those clothes.

So, I... I... I should shower?

Mam, you can't wash in the house, they...

they can detect even the tiniest fleck.

We'll go down to the beach.

Right, okay.

Okay.

I was still drowsy from the sleeping pill,

and I noticed that there were some broken things,

and then I... I found Paul

in the kitchen.

And there was just blood everywhere.

And I tried to revive him but I was far too late, it was...

I mean, it was hours late, he was totally gone.

And I was just terrified, you know, I was just in shock.

I was just worried that the killer was still in the house.

But I was alone completely.

I'm sorry.

Mam!

Mam!

Mam, are you taking Prazosin and Xanax together?

Well, Paul said...

That's insane.

It's a wonder you're still standing.

Taken anything tonight?

No, no, he tried to get me to take Solpadem.

Okay, um, take one 10 milligram pill.

Needs to be in your system for later

when the Guards do bloods.

Mam, they will go over you literally with a fine tooth comb.

I found this.

You need to be wearing it when they come.

You need to be the grieving, loving wife.

It's not pretending.

I really did love him.

Look, Mam, um, we've cleaned the fresh blood off you,

but in order for your story to be convincing,

you have to have made contact with him.

How do you mean?

So you can say you attempted to resuscitate him.

We ca... we can't.

Mam, we can't just leave you here alone like this.

Go now.

I'm going to call the Guards,

and you mustn't be on the road when they come out this way, go.

You attempted to resuscitate Paul.

When did you phone the Guards?

Um, uh... (sniffles)

I think right away, but I can't say for certain.

I was hazy from the pill and just in shock, really.

I just sat there.

Not knowing how I'd say the words about Paul.

Not knowing if I'd even be able to speak them.

- (dispatcher) Emergency... - Hello?

Which service do you require?

Hello, yes, Guards, please hurry.

Gardai, what's your emergency?

It's my husband, he's been murdered.

Please help. I've just found him, he's cold.

Oh, God! Please hurry, please!

It just felt like the Guards arrived instantly.

The place was so crowded.

I don't know if I spoke to anyone, I was so sedated.

And after that, it's just a blur.

You know, just being arrested and taken to the station.

We can leave it there.

Unless you have any questions about tomorrow?

No.

No, I'm ready.

Thank you, Mr Beckett.

Val Ahern did murder Paul Madigan.

She was motivated to do it by a mother's fresh grief.

You see, on this fateful day,

Val Ahern learned a dark secret about her husband.

He had actually known her youngest daughter, Grace.

He had been a therapist to her at the time of her tragic death.

Fatefully, he had chosen to keep this a secret.

Just hours after his wife learned of it,

Paul Madigan was dead.

Stabbed in the heart with a knife

she had just used to prepare dinner.

The prosecution will prove

that after she murdered her husband,

Val Ahern concocted a shabby plot to stage a break-in.

She invented an intruder,

a mystery figure who left no physical evidence whatsoever.

When all was prepared, she phoned the Guards,

offering an impeccable performance as a horrified and grieving widow.

But you will hear expert testimony

which entirely dissolves Val Ahern's version of events,

and you will hear evidence that Val Ahern has a history

of lying to Gardai.

You will hear forensic science

and you will hear the reliable testimony

of the detective sergeant who was first at the murder scene.

Armed with the facts, you will do justice.

You will convict Val Ahern for the murder of Paul Madigan.

A single, sharp force trauma penetrated the chest cavity,

rupturing the thoracic aorta, causing death.

- Is that accurate? - Yes.

A blood stained dressing gown, worn by the defendant

when Gardai arrived at the scene.

Is the blood that of the victim, Paul Madigan?

It is.

Were the blood stains consistent with contact with the deceased

several hours postmortem?

Yes.

Were any bloodstains on this garment consistent

with the kind of blood lost

at the time of Paul Madigan's fatal injury?

No.

For the jury,

can you explain the difference

between these two states of blood?

Fresh blood is more fluid and absorbs further.

Blood that has clotted for more than 45 minutes is thicker.

It does not absorb as far along fabric,

as seen in this dressing gown.

Can you estimate how long after death

this dressing gown came into contact with blood?

Several hours, but that is only an estimate.

Were the blood stains consistent with someone wearing the gown

while astride the deceased, attempting CPR?

Yes.

This knife is property of the defendant,

tagged as Exhibit C.

Were the defendant's fingerprints identified on this knife?