Courts / Louth / Report

Murder accused told gardai in interview that she stuck knife in her partner, jury hears

Date
2015-07-03

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Louth

County
Louth

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 3 July 2015, a 42‑year‑old Louth woman, Paula Farrell, was charged with the murder of her 30‑year‑old partner, Wayne McQuillan, who was killed on 1 January 2014 at their home. Farrell pleaded not guilty. The prosecution presented four Garda interviews taken on 1 and 2 January 2014. In the first interview, Farrell described a fight that escalated after alcohol consumption, during which she said she grabbed a knife from a block and stabbed McQuillan twice, once under his shoulder and once in the front of his chest. She also claimed he had strangled and beaten her, and that she had washed her blood‑stained hands afterward. The second interview confirmed blood on her hands and that she had tried to wash them. In the third interview, she recounted stabbing McQuillan in the chest and side while he was walking out of the kitchen, and again in the hallway.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Murder accused told gardai in interview that she stuck knife in her partner, jury hears. Charges or matters: murdering her partner Wayne McQuillan (30) at her home on January 1, 2014; murdering Mr McQuillan. Procedural stage: trial

When:

January 1, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
January 1 Hearing Or Sentence
January 2 2014 Incident
New Year's Eve Other
2015-07-03 Publication

Why: I was thinking 'I'll kill you' because he was killing me, well not killing me, hitting me, I didn't want him to get the better of me. CNI source report