Patricia O'Connor's son tells trial his sister did not want to report their mother as missing person

A son, whose mother’s dismembered remains were found scattered at nine different locations in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains, has told a jury that his sister did not want to report their mother as a missing person, three days after she was last seen.  

Richard O’Connor told the Central Criminal Court today that his mother was a “straight shooter” saying: “If you were in the wrong, she would tell you were in the wrong and if you needed a kick in the arse, she’d give you one”.

Mr O’Connor also told the jury that he was worried about Patricia O’Connor and queried things with murder accused Kieran Greene in the aftermath of his mother going missing. However, he said there was “not a budge out of him”.

The witness also identified his niece Stephanie O’Connor in CCTV footage as the person closing the back door of the house at Mountainview Park on the night his mother is alleged to have been murdered.

Mr O’Connor, the only son of Mrs O’Connor, gave evidence today (Friday) in the trial of father-of-three Mr Greene (34), who has pleaded not guilty to murdering Patricia O'Connor (61) at her home in Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29, 2017.

The deceased's daughter Louise O'Connor (41) and granddaughter Stephanie O'Connor (22), both of Millmount Court, Dundrum Road, Dublin 14, and Louise O'Connor's ex-partner Keith Johnston (43), of Avonbeg Gardens, Tallaght, Dublin 24 are all charged with impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Kieran Greene, knowing or believing him to have committed an arrestable offence, to wit the murder of Mrs O'Connor (61) on May 29, 2017.

Evidence has been given that the body of Mrs O’Connor was dismembered into 15 separate parts that were found at nine different locations over a 30km range in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14, 2017. 

Giving evidence today, Richard O'Connor told prosecuting counsel, Roisin Lacey SC, that his father Augustine, his mother Patricia, his sister Louise and her five children as well as Louise’s partner Mr Greene were living in Mountainview in June 2017. Mr O’Connor said he had not lived in Mountainview for some 12 years or longer.
   

Louise informed him on this phone call that their mother had left with a suitcase and ran off somewhere after an argument over car insurance, he said, adding that Mr Greene had been driving his mother’s car and had a crash or a bump of some sort.

“Louise said my mother stormed out of the house in anger, she said she didn’t see her but had heard her shouting abuse and saying ‘I’ll be back when that old fella pops his clogs’,” he said, adding that this was a reference to his father.

Describing his mother, Mr O’Connor called her a “straight shooter” saying: “If you were in the wrong, she would tell you were in the wrong and if you needed a kick in the arse, she’d give you one”.

Louise told him that she had been in the bathroom on the evening of May 29 and went to have a look to see where her mother was, he said, adding that he was worried when he found out his mother was missing.

The witness said he had advised Louise to ring his mother’s relatives in Kilkenny to see if they had heard from her as she had quite a big family there. He said he had no idea where his mother might have been.

He had spoken to his mother previously, he said, when he had got a chance to call over to the house as he was not able to contact her directly.

Mr O’Connor said he had an appointment in Tallaght Hospital on June 1, 2017 and went to Mountainview afterwards and Louise, his father and Mr Greene were there. He agreed with his father to report his mother missing but said Louise did not want them reporting anything. Mr Greene was in the house at the time but did not say a thing, he remarked.

The court has previously heard that Augustine 'Gus' O'Connor and Richard O'Connor made a missing person report to gardai at Rathfarnham Garda Station concerning Mrs O'Connor on June 1, 2017. 

Mr O’Connor said he, his wife and their two children went to Mountainview on June 11 and Louise, her children, his father and Mr Greene were there. He walked to Tesco in Nutgrove with Mr Greene that day and said he [Richard O’Connor] was giving out that he had not had contact with his mother. “I was worried about my ma and querying things but there was not a budge out of him,” he said.

The witness said his relationship with Mr Greene was amicable enough but he did certain things that he did not feel was right. “He would give out to one child and not give out to another child,” he noted.

Mr O’Connor said he voluntarily went to Bray Garda Station on September 3, 2017, where he was interviewed by Detective Inspector Brian O’Keeffe and Sergeant Barry Turner. In the course of the interview, Mr O’Connor agreed he was shown CCTV footage and invited to comment about who he recognised.

The jury was then shown CCTV footage, which had been shown to Mr O’Connor in the garda station from May 29 at 10.05pm. Ms Lacey asked Mr O’Connor if he recognised anyone in the clip and he said it was Stephanie O’Connor.

The jury was then shown another clip of a person closing the back door of Mountainview on May 29 at 10.06pm. Mr O’Connor again identified this figure as Stephanie O’Connor.

It is the prosecution's case that at no point in time in CCTV footage can Stephanie O'Connor be seen as herself leaving Mountainview Park on the night of May 29 and that in order to cover up the alleged murder she dressed up as her grandmother as "a ruse" to pretend that Mrs O'Connor had stormed out of the house carrying a suitcase. It is the State's contention that Mrs O'Connor was already dead in the house at the time. 

In cross-examination, Mr O’Connor agreed with Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, that the house was packed. He also agreed with Mr Devally that his sister Louise had “worn the trousers” in her relationship with Mr Greene.

The trial has heard that while in custody, Mr Greene changed his account of killing and dismembering his partner's mother, six months after he was charged with her murder. 

Evidence has been given that Mr Greene walked into Rathfarnham Garda Station on June 12, 2017 and told a detective that he had done "something terrible" and dismembered the body of Mrs O'Connor on his own. However, the accused man told gardai on December 9 that he had taken “the rap” and felt he was being set-up, as his girlfriend Louise O'Connor subsequently started going back out with her ex-boyfriend Keith Johnston. 

Louise O'Connor has pleaded not   guilty to agreeing to or acquiescing in her daughter Stephanie O'Connor disguising herself as Patricia O'Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 on May 29, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that Patricia O'Connor was dead. 

Stephanie O'Connor has pleaded not  guilty to disguising herself as Mrs O'Connor at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 at a point in time after her murder on May 29, 2017 in order to conceal the fact that she was already dead. 

Mr Johnston has pleaded not   guilty to assisting Mr Greene in the purchase of various implements at Woodie's, Mr Price, B&Q and Shoe Zone, Tallaght, Dublin 24 on June 9, 2017, which were to be used in the concealment of the remains of Mrs O'Connor. 

Mr Johnston also denies engaging in the refurbishment of a bathroom at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14 between May 31, 2017 and June 9, 2017, in order to destroy or conceal any evidence relating to the murder of Mrs O'Connor. 

The trial continues this afternoon before Mr Justice Paul McDermott and a jury of six men and six women.