Wife strangled by husband told him she wanted her own life, trial hears

A murder trial at the Central Criminal Court has heard that a woman expressed her desire for independence in text messages to her husband before her death. The deceased, a 30-year-old mother of three from Sligo, told her husband in messages spanning several months that she wanted her own life and instructed him to stop contacting her. The jury was also presented with evidence from the Chief State Pathologist, who detailed extensive bruising consistent with asphyxiation by strangulation. The pathologist confirmed that death resulted from pressure applied to the neck and was not instantaneous, though the exact duration could not be determined. The accused, aged 35 and from Crozon Park in Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter. He has admitted to unlawfully killing his wife through strangulation and accepts sole responsibility for her death. The trial continues before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.