Aoife Phelan strangled to death, murder trial hears

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Central Criminal Court heard that Aoife Phelan had been strangled to death. The proceedings were reported on 21 May 2014.

Robert Corbet, of Capoley, Sheffield Cross, Laois, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Ms Phelan and admitted her manslaughter. The report gave the manslaughter period as 25 October to 7 November. Her body was discovered in a barrel buried several feet below ground behind his home.

State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy testified on 20 May 2014. She gave the cause of death as asphyxia due to strangulation, with blunt-force trauma contributing. She also described evidence of a minor assault involving punches or slaps to Ms Phelan’s head and said she believed the assault preceded the strangulation.

Prof Marie Cassidy said there was no evidence that Ms Phelan struggled in the barrel, indicating she was either deeply unconscious or dead when placed inside. She said Ms Phelan was not pregnant when she died and agreed with Conor Devally SC, defending, that she had never been pregnant.

The trial was continuing on 21 May 2014.