An adulterous affair led to the brutal contract killing of a Newry woman, Ms Rose Moran, who was stabbed 37 times by two Dundalk men in 1991, the Crown Court in Belfast has been told.
The trial of one of the men, Mr Philip Quigley, was also told that her husband, Mr Joe Moran, had been "plagued" by his lover, Ms Anita McKeown, to get rid of his wife.
McKeown (28) was jailed for eight years in 1995 for plotting to kill Mrs Moran.
Mr Quigley, of St Nicholas Avenue, Dundalk, Co Louth, who denies the murder in August 1991, allegedly confessed that Mr Moran offered to pay him and another Dundalk man, Mr Danny Larkin, £5,000 each to carry out the killing.
A Garda detective admitted to Mr Arthur Harvey QC, defending, that in an alleged statement Mr Moran had said he never discussed killing his wife with Mr Quigley or offered him money.
Garda James Sheridan also agreed that Mr Moran said he did not know how Mr Quigley "became involved in this mess" and that he felt sorry for him and his family.
In a second alleged confession, it is also claimed Mr Quigley said that after being left in Mrs Moran's isolated Border home, her husband told him and Mr Larkin to "make sure she dies".
Mr Quigley is also alleged to have said that Mr Larkin, who successfully fought his extradition, and he had decided not to kill Mrs Moran, but did so after she unexpectedly returned home from work.
The trial has been adjourned until Monday when the defence case will be presented.