Waterford man accused of murder performed CPR on his girlfriend
The late Gillian Curran
The jury heard the 999 call that Marcus O’Neill made, on the day his partner Gillian Curran died, in the Central Criminal Court in Waterford this week.
On the call, he told paramedics that he and his partner had been drinking the night before and that Ms Curran had fallen a few times. He said that she hit her head, but “she seemed okay…but when I woke up, I found her on the floor.”
He told a paramedic that her breathing was “not normal at all” and that she had turned blue/yellow. During the call it was heard that he performed CPR on Ms Curran.
Marcus O’Neill of 15 O’Brien Street, Waterford city, denies the murder of his partner, Gillian Curran. Barrister Roisín Lacey leads his defence.
The prosecution counsel, led by Barrister Conor O’Doherty, told the jury that they must decide whether the death of Ms Curran occurred due to a drunken accident or was the result of a violent act.
The jury of seven women and five men heard that O’Neill gave details to the gardaí that Ms Curran had several falls the night before she died whilst drunk and that he found her unconscious downstairs the following morning.
He told gardaí that he found Ms Curran naked. He said he cleaned the blood from her body and put some clothes on her.
Mr O’Doherty explained to the jury some of the evidence they could expect to hear over the course of the trial. He said that gardaí witnesses would give evidence about noticing how Mr O’Neill’s right hand was swollen. When asked about this, Mr O’Neill told gardaí he acquired this injury due to punching a wall on January 23.
He said the defence would also give evidence that neighbours reported a loud argument the night before and that when this was put to him, Mr O’Neill did not accept that a loud argument had occurred.
Mr O’Doherty said the jury would hear from State Pathologist Dr Heidi Okkers that Curran died from multiple blunt-force traumatic injuries to the head and abdomen.
Mr O’Doherty outlined further evidence the jury could expect to hear from Ms Curran’s work colleagues that they “observed frequent injuries” on her.
On January 25, 2025, at 9:56am, Mr O’Neill made the 999 call to the emergency services.
Emergency services were unable to resuscitate Ms Curran, who was pronounced dead at the scene at 10.23am by Dr Paul Campbell.
Just under two hours later, at 12:12, he was arrested. His clothes were seized, and he was brought to UHW for his injuries under Garda custody.
The case, which continues at Waterford Central Criminal Court, is being presided over by Judge Karen Briggs.
