UNDER cross examination by Mr Kevin Haugh SC, Mr O'Donnell said that after he left prison in Wolverhampton in March 1994 he was three days in different parts of Ireland before going back to Co Clare.
He stayed at his granny's for a few more days before going to Imelda Riney's house, he said. He agreed this was about a week after he arrived in Ireland from Wolverhampton.
He agreed he knew Ms Riney's house from earlier times. He said he would use it as a place to stay and said IRA people on the run had also used it.
He said he visited the house several times before Mr Val Ballance came on holiday to Co Clare in April 1994. He said he visited the house every couple of days and had gone there about 10 or 12 times. He was going there every day or every second day, he said. He said he visited the house about four or five times after Mr Ballance came back.
Mr Haugh put it to Mr O'Donnell that Ms Riney's sister Ms Marie Riney was staying with her practically on a 24 hour a day basis from April 17th to 22nd and had never seen Mr O Donnell at the house. Mr O'Donnell said he was at the house and Ms Marie Riney must be wrong. He said he never saw Ms Marie Riney at the house.
Asked what food Ms Riney would bring him, he said a flask of tea and sandwiches. He said the sandwiches were ham or salad. He was asked did Ms Riney eat the ham sandwiches, he said: "She used to eat ham, yes."
Counsel put it to Mr O'Donnell that Ms Riney was a strict vegetarian who did not herself eat meat, poultry or fish and would not have ham in the house.
Mr O'Donnell said then he did not say Ms Riney ate ham and asked to have the note read back by the stenographer. The note was read and Mr O'Donnell said he was mistaken and had taken Mr Haugh up wrong. He said Ms Riney would not eat any ham sandwiches.
He said Ms Riney would have meat for him on occasions and tomatoes.
He said he did not leave Father Joe Walsh's body where he had pitched his tent in Cregg Wood. He said he had picked up papers around the tent. He said there would have been signs of his living there when he was there but not after he took the tent.
Counsel asked Mr O'Donnell had he ever an interest in stalking women. Mr O'Donnell said he did and had developed that interest in Wolverhampton. He said he "did it a bit".
He saw a woman's head changed to a cat's head one night, he said. He said he did not stalk particularly at night. He said he had told a doctor he was on a roof staring into a woman's bedroom.
Asked would he get a sexual thrill out of looking at women at night, he said, no. He denied he had been watching Imelda Riney for some time through April 1994. He said he had known Ms Riney from 1991 or 1992. "I wasn't watching her," he said.
Counsel put to Mr O'Donnell that Mr Val Ballance said he was at the Riney house from the week beginning Monday, April 25th, with Ms Riney and that Mr O'Donnell could not have been visiting her unknown to Mr Ballance.
Mr O'Donnell said he was visiting Ms Riney. He said Mr Ballance could have been at the house but was not there when he (defendant) was.
Mr Haugh said: "You are deliberately lying and were never around Imelda Riney's house before April 29th 1994."
Mr O'Donnell said: "I'm not lying."
Asked about the devil speaking to him, he said the devil spoke to him many times before April 29th, 1994 and all through 1992.
He agreed he had not counted to, 100 as the devil had told him to. Asked why, he said he didn't want to go deaf.
He said he did have to obey the devil. He said he got sick when he disobeyed him.
Pressed on the issue, Mr O'Donnell said he was "a bit confused" at present and hearing voices.
He agreed he has seen a lot of psychiatrists. He said he was saying he could hear voices "outside his head" because they were outside his head.
"It's not wrong to kill somebody, he said. He said he knew that wrong meant incorrect and right meant correct. He said killing was good in itself. He only killed those whom the devil told him to, he said. He said the devil had told him to kill his granny while he was in Wolverhampton.
The trial continues today before Mr Justice Lavan and the jury.