This article is from page 12 of the 2006-02-28 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
JUDGE Carroll Moran told the jury yesterday (Monday) evening that it was “common case” that the theme of suicide was prevalent in the case.
He said Eavan Drysdale alleged that Gda Keating told her she would be the next Geraldine Kissane, who was shot dead by her former boyfriend in Shannon in 2001, before he then shot himself.
Gda Keating, in turn, alleged that Ms Drysale had texted him, saying she hoped his next suicide attempt would be a success.
Gda Keating told the court he attempted to take his own life in July 2004.
Earlier, defence barrister Thomas Creed said the complainant, Ms Drysdale, “is prepared to say anything until she is caught out.”
He said she had a solicitor’s letter sent to Gda Keating on May 12, 2004, ordering him to keep away from her, while at the same time she was making “secret contact” with him, by sending him text messages.
“She was dangling him at the end of a string, torturing him,” he said.
“Is this a damsel in distress? Is this indicative of a woman harassed?” he asked.
The barrister said Ms Drysdale alleged that Gda Keating had been aggressive towards her. However, he said a phone conversation between the two — which was recorded by Gda Keating on his mobile phone and was played in court — showed that she, not he, was the aggressive one.
Meanwhile, counsel for the prosecution, Stephen Coughlan, in his summing up, said three telephone conversations took place between the accused and the complainant on the night of August 17, 2004.
He said the threats were made during these conversations.
“It may have looked like the case was all about text messages, but the real issue in this case is what happened on the night of the 17th of August,” he said, making reference to thousands of text messages mentioned throughout the case.
He said when Eavan Drysdale confronted Gda Keating after he had slept with another woman, in December 2003, he admitted in court that in denying he had been unfaithful, he had “lied through his teeth”.
“Pat Keating is asking you to believe him, in preference to Ms Drysdale,” Mr Coughlan told the jury.