A MAN told gardai that two women died after he tied them up and stuffed tights in their mouths during sexual intercourse, the Central Criminal Court heard yesterday.
Michael Bambrick told gardai he dismembered the bodies of Patricia McGauley and Mary Cummins with a paper knife and junior hacksaw and dumped them in west Dublin.
In a statement read to the court, Bambrick said that when he tied the women up, "I knew I could do what I wanted to." He said he "got enjoyment" out of stuffing tights into their mouths.
Bambrick said that during the sexual encounter with Mary Cummins she had tried to push him off, and he heard her say something like. "You're choking me.
"I just knew at the time I couldn't stop," he said.
The court also heard Patricia McGauley had struggled, and one neighbour reported hearing screaming.
Mr Justice Carney said he needed time to consider the evidence and adjourned sentencing until July 26th.
He also ordered an inquiry into how material from Bambrick's statements had been made known to certain tabloid newspapers and published two months before they were proven in court.
Bambrick (43), formerly of St Ronan's Park, Clondalkin, Co Dublin, but now of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty last May to the manslaughter of the two women.
He admitted the manslaughter of Patricia McGauley (43), a mother of two, in Dublin on a date unknown between September 1st, 1991, and February 28th, 1992.
He also admitted the manslaughter of Mary Cummins, a mother of three, in Dublin on a date unknown between July 1st, 1992, and December 31st, 1993.
The court heard Ms McGauley was born in Dublin and worked in a variety of jobs. She had married, but the marriage had lasted just two years. The court heard her husband was very violent towards her and she fled the home.
She had met Bambrick in 198 and they lived together with their two children.
Mary Cummins was born in 1956 and lived in an orphanage for the first four years of her life. Mr Patrick Marrinan SC, prosecuting, said she had a fairly miserable" life and was subject to physical assault by her husband.
She had three children from her marriage. At the time of her death she lived with her daughter, Samantha.
Bambrick held his head in his hands during some of the evidence.
Relatives of the dead women were also present, and some wept.
Bambrick has six previous convictions. One is for indecent assault, and five are for larceny, including larceny of women's underwear.
Del Sgt John Melody, the arresting officer, detailed the lengthy Garda investigation.
He said Bambrick was born in England in 1952, and the family moved to Ireland in 1957. Bambrick never really had a job.
In 1972 he had married Marie Hayes, and they had a son. The marriage broke up, and he returned to his parents' home.
After they died he moved to St Teresa's Gardens and met Patricia McGauley in 1982.
At the time of his arrest he was involved in a relationship with Ms Stella Mooney, and she had since had their child.
Del Sgt Melody outlined how Bambrick had reported Patricia McGauley missing in September 1991, and said that Mary Cummins had disappeared after leaving Carr's pub in Francis Street with Bambrick on July 24th, 1992.
Garda investigations ultimately cent red on St Ronan's Park, where Bambrick lived with Patricia McGauley and their two children, Adrienne (now 13) and Louise (6). Forensic specialists found evidence of blood on floor boards there in May 1995.
Bambrick was arrested in January 1995, but denied any knowledge of what had happened to the two women. On June 24th last year he admitted to gardai that he killed both women.
He said he had been drinking with Patricia McGauley, and they returned home after collecting their children.
They had an argument over cigarettes, but things quietened down, and they later went to bed and had intercourse. He said he tied Patricia McGauley's hands behind her back, stuffed tights in her mouth and tied the tights around her head.
He said he engaged in this practice with Ms McGauley a number of times, but she did not like it all the time.
He heard her gasping for air and realised she was dead. He panicked. The tights were so tight he had to go and get scissors to cut them.
He put the body in the box room and later dismembered it and put it into plastic bags. He disposed of it in Balgaddy dump.
He said he had gone as far as the gates of Ronanstown Garda station but did not go in.
Bambrick said he had killed Mary Cummins in a similar fashion to Ms McGauley.
In the statement, he said they had drinks in several pubs before they returned to St Ronan's Park.
In the sitting room he had started touching her and tied her hands behind her back with a belt and put tights in her mouth. Then he realised she was dead. "I was afraid, I didn't know what to do," he said.
He dismembered her body and buried it in a field near Balgaddy school. "I don't know what came over me," he said.
Det Garda Melody said human remains were later found at separate sites in west Dublin and were eventually identified from dental records and DNA as those of the two women. The remains were so decompiled the cause of death could not be established.
A memorandum of another interview with Bambrick was also read to the court. In it he said he used to cross dress when having sex, and said he knew that when he tied the women up he could do what he wanted.
He said Mary Cummins had tried to "push him off" during their encounter but he added "I just knew at the time I couldn't stop."
He spoke of seeing Ms Cummins's head where he had dumped it and "bashing" it with a concrete block.
He said there was "a small bit of a struggle" before he tied Patricia McGauley's arms. He said she had been dozing off and shouted at him to stop. But he had her pinned down under him.
Bambrick also said that he was wearing Ms McGauley's underwear and other clothes the night he killed her.
He said "I'm glad I've got everything off my chest ... The two girls can have a decent burial now.
"I know I killed Patricia, Mary, but I didn't set out to do it. I want to tell Adrienne I'm sorry for what I done. I love her a lot. Louise won't understand yet. I hope they have a good life."
Del Garda Melody said Ms Mooney had made a statement to gardai on June 9th, 1995. She said that Bambrick enjoyed tying her up and engaged in unusual sexual practices and dressed in women's clothing.
She said Bambrick had told her he had killed a girl in Clondalkin but did not want to remember it because it was "too disgusting". She said he was crying at the time.
Mr Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said he would be offering no evidence. Bambrick wanted to indicate his "profound remorse" for what he had done and was anxious for a Christian burial for his victims.
Mr Gageby said his client had never intended to kill or cause serious injury to the two deceased, and that was the greatest factor in mitigation. It was "a clear case of manslaughter", and what had happened was an unforeseen consequence of the dangerous sexual practices which Bambrick had commenced at an early stage of his life.
He accepted that whatever the circumstances of the killing of Patricia McGauley, Bambrick should not have engaged in the same sexual practice again.
While the dumping of the bodies was revolting and unappealing, counsel said, this should not influence the court when determining sentence. The revolting circumstances were ameliorated to some extent by the admissions of Bambrick and his desire that both women have a Christian burial.
Mr Gageby asked the judge to direct that during his time in prison Bambrick receive guidance and counselling to deal with the "grave problem" in his personality.
He said neither case approached the level of manslaughter akin to murder, and Bambrick's offences should not attract the maximum penalty for that offence.