Man acted ‘completely normal’ after killing woman with hammer

A man who beat a woman to death with a hammer after she sought money from him for an abortion was acting “completely normal” on the evening after the assault, his trial has heard.

Roy Webster (40), of Ashbree, Ashford, Co Wicklow has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of Anne Shortall (47) on April 3rd, 2015 at The Murrough, Co Wicklow. His plea was not accepted by the State.

The Central Criminal Court on Thursday heard a statement from Mr Webster’s wife’s friend, Carmel Phibbs, which was read to the court by prosecuting counsel Paul Greene SC. Ms Phibbs said she was at the Webster home on the evening of April 3rd, 2015 when Mr Webster arrived back.

The court previously heard that earlier that day Mr Webster beat Ms Shortall to death with a hammer and left her taped up body in his van. The attack happened after she sought money for an abortion and threatened to tell his wife about a sexual encounter they had four months earlier. Patholohy reports showed she was not pregnant.

“Roy was acting completely normal,” said Ms Phibbs.

He had a discussion with his wife and showed her a small cut he had on his arm which he said he got while doing a tiling job.

Helping gardaí

Later that weekend Ms Phibbs was at the Webster home again and that the accused came in he said there was a woman missing and he was helping gardaí with their enquiries.

Gardai did not find Ms Shortall’s body until the following Tuesday when Mr Webster broke down in front of his wife and revealed that the body was in his workshop.

Det Sgt Fergus O’Brien, the lead investigator in the case, agreed with defending counsel Brendan Grehan SC that after Mr Webster’s admission he was cooperative with gardaí and tried his best to help them.

He agreed that Mr Webster had been of “impeccable character” and that the events of April 3rd, 2015 had taken a “huge toll” on him and his family.

The jury also heard that Mr Webster and the deceased exchanged calls and text messages on several occasions from between 3.26am on March 25th, 2015 through to the day of her death on April 3rd, 2015.

Garda Dave Hamblyn went through the records which were retrieved from mobile phone companies. Ms Shortall first tried to call Mr Webster’s phone and he attempted to call her back four times over the following day but none of the calls got through.

They then exchanged dozens of text messages in the lead up to their meeting when Mr Webster told gardaí Ms Shortall demanded £6,500 from him so she could get an abortion.

When Mr Webster failed to hand over the cash, he said she threatened to tell his wife about their sexual encounter and he beat her to death with a hammer.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy told the jury the prosecution’s evidence would end on Monday.