Robert Corbet denies murdering Aoife Phelan

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

Robert Corbet, of Sheffield Cross in Co Laois, was on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of murdering Aoife Phelan. He admitted killing her in October 2012 but denied murdering her. The proceedings were reported on 21 May 2014.

Corbet told the court he never set out to kill her. He said he had arranged to meet her on 25 October 2012 to clarify the pregnancy she had told him about. He said he believed she was pregnant and that he was the father.

He claimed she threatened to ruin his life and business and that he lost self-control. Under cross-examination, he said he did not know how she would ruin his business.

Corbet said he had panicked. Prosecuting counsel Isobel Kennedy said his actions were deliberate, organised and calculated, far from those of a man who was panicking. She put it to him that he had not acted under provocation. He maintained that the threats had caused him to snap and that he had lost self-control.

The report said the murder trial was reaching its closing stages.