Prosecutor challenges Monika Matracka's self-defence account in murder trial

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

Prosecution barrister Paul Carroll challenged Monika Matracka's account of self-defence during her trial for the murder of Michal Rejmer. The proceedings were reported on 16 February 2017.

Monika Matracka is accused of stabbing Michal Rejmer, her former boyfriend, to death at the home they shared at The Pines, Briarfield in Castletroy, Limerick.

She admits killing him but claims she was defending herself after he entered her room with a knife demanding money. The report said the prosecutor regarded her self-defence claim as a “leap too far”.

Paul Carroll questioned why she had not called emergency services and how she went to work in the following days as if nothing had happened. He also asked why she did not tell Gardaí she had killed him until after his body was found in their back garden.

He reminded jurors of her admissions that she cleaned the house afterwards, burnt the knife and dumped his phones.

He argued that, even if she had been defending herself, she used excessive force and should be convicted of manslaughter at the very least.