Murder trial told man sent Marta Herda a Valentine’s card

A jury has been shown a Valentine’s Day card allegedly sent to the woman charged with murdering the sender by driving him into a harbour, where he drowned.

The court also heard she had denied driving into the water deliberately.

A garda held up the Valentine's card and read out its contents to the Central Criminal Court today on the sixth day of the trial.

Marta Herda (29), of Pairc Na Saile, Emoclew Road, Arklow, Co Wicklow is charged with the murder of 31-year-old Csaba Orsas on March 26th, 2013.

The Polish waitress has pleaded not guilty to murdering the Hungarian at South Quay, Arklow. Both had worked at the Brook Lodge Hotel in Aughrim.

Garda Anthony Crehan testified that he had taken a voluntary statement from the accused in which she said the deceased had been in love with her but that she had told him they could not ever have a relationship.

She said his attentions were “24 hours a day” and that she could not take it any more.

She gave the garda a Valentine’s card she had received from the deceased.

‘Thinking of you’

Garda Crehan held it up in the witness box so the jury could see. He explained it had pink roses in a vase on the front of the card and included the words ‘Thinking of you’, printed inside. A love heart had been drawn around this, he said.

He then read what had been handwritten on both sides of the card.

“LOVE LETTER!

“Dear Marta, I would just like to tell you in letters how much I love you. Seriously, I feel that I find you finally, the girl I was looking for in all my life. I wish to share my life with only you.”

Garda Crehan said the word “Marta” was then spelled out, with a love heart drawn around each letter.

“I’m ready to do anything for you. I can change all my bad habits for the way you wish. Millions of kisses,” it continued.

“Thinking of you in every second. I love you Marta. I can promise that I will be the best husband and you will never regret it.”

A phone number was given and a smiley face drawn before the final words: “I’m mad about you.”

The card was dated and timed, 21/5/12, 22.54.

The defence had earlier suggested that he had not put to Ms Herda the proposition of her having driven into the water deliberately.

‘A back history’

“I wrote it down as she said it,” he replied. “She’s painted a picture of a back history with this guy and it culminated in this.”

The defence then put to him the contents of a subsequent interview in which Garda Crehan had not participated.

“I didn’t want to do that, but I don’t want all this happened,” she had said. “It was horrible and scary in this car. I don’t want to see him any more.”

She was asked if she had driven deliberately into the water.

“No. I would never want to hurt anyone or even to destroy my car,” she replied.

The accused woman's former boyfriend, Eamon Ibrahim, also gave evidence.

He testified she had been suspicious of his former girlfriends and “maybe a bit jealous”.

He was asked how she was with other men while they were together.

“She got on with other men,” he replied.

He was also asked about her swimming ability and he described it as good.

The trial continues this (Wednesday) morning before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy and a jury of eight men and four women.