A DAUGHTER of a Sligo man accused of killing Melissa Mahon (14) has told the Central Criminal Court that her sister told her that their father had killed the girl.
Shirley Conroy (18) agreed with Brendan Grehan SC, defending, that on January 31st, 2008, her sister said: “I’ll tell you why I’m like this but you have to swear not to tell anyone or I’ll get into big trouble with the gardaí.”
Ms Conroy immediately thought of Melissa who had been missing since September 14th, 2006 and asked her sister: “Did Dad kill her?” She said her sister said that he did.
Ronald McManus (44) also known as Ronnie Dunbar, Rathbraughan Park, Sligo, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the schoolgirl between September 14th and September 30th, 2006. He also denies threatening to kill one of his daughters during the same period.
The jury heard that Ms Conroy’s then boyfriend rang gardaí on January 31st, 2008, and asked for someone to come to his home in relation to Melissa’s disappearance.
Det Garda Pauline McDonagh said she arrived at the home of Ms Conroy and Danny Lynott to find Shirley sitting on a sofa with rosary beads in her hand and her sister in an armchair by the fire in a trance-like state.
Det Garda McDonagh said Shirley’s sister told her that her father, Ronald Dunbar, had killed Melissa Mahon, had strangled her in a bedroom, put her body in a sleeping bag and dumped it. The girl said she had helped her father dispose of the body.
Mr Lynott told the court that he and Shirley lived with their son in a house a number of doors down from Mr McManus.
Mr Lynott agreed with Mr Grehan that Shirley’s sister said she came home on a Thursday in September 2006 at about 5pm. She went into a bedroom and saw her father over Melissa who was on a bed.
Shirley’s sister said her father had his hands over Melissa at her neck. Melissa was gasping for air and then stopped breathing before he left the room. The sister tried to revive her but got no response.
She said Mr McManus put Melissa’s body into a sleeping bag and they later drove to Lough Gill and put the body into the water.
The trial continues.