Robert Corbet pleads not guilty to murdering Aoife Phelan

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

Robert Corbet has pleaded not guilty to murdering Aoife Phelan; the Central Criminal Court heard evidence on 15 May 2014. The trial concerned the death of the 30-year-old Laois nanny, whose body was found in a buried barrel in Capoley, near Portlaoise. Corbet told gardaí he had struck Phelan during an argument and later disposed of her body. He has admitted manslaughter, but the murder charge remains contested. The court heard evidence about his interviews, phone messages and Phelan’s reported pregnancy. The trial continued before Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan.