A CO CORK man has been found guilty of murdering widow Anne Corcoran after abducting her from her farmhouse during a robbery.
The jury reached a majority verdict of 10 to two after three hours and 41 minutes deliberating at the Central Criminal Court.
Oliver Hayes (49), a painter, Clancool Terrace, Bandon, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter but had denied murdering Mrs Corcoran (60) between January 19th and 21st, 2009.
Hayes admitted falsely imprisoning her in his home and stealing €3,000 from her bank account following her death.
The 11-day trial heard that Hayes was in debt and decided to rob Ms Corcoran because she was “a woman on her own” in a big farmhouse and he thought she would have money.
After the verdict was read out, Det Garda Jim Fitzgerald outlined the killer’s eight previous convictions, which included burglary of an 84-year-old’s home, assault with intent to rob and theft. However, he was never jailed before killing Mrs Corcoran.
The detective said that on one occasion Hayes went to a woman’s house on the pretence of needing water for his car. He produced a knife but a neighbour heard her scream and disturbed him.
Mr Justice Paul Carney remanded him in custody for sentencing at Cork courthouse on Wednesday, when he will receive a victim impact statement.
“In January 2009, work was quiet,” Hayes told the court. “I had put off paying some of the bigger bills, thinking something might come around the corner.”
He had made no mortgage payments on his end-of-terrace house in almost two years. The credit union was pursuing him for a €10,000 debt on which he had defaulted. His van insurance was in arrears and he was about to lose it. He could not have his damaged van repaired until he paid his mechanic money he already owed him.
“I thought I’d go to some place and rob it,” he said, explaining that he knew of Ms Corcoran as he had worked with her husband, who had given him lifts to work, and he knew where her house was.
About 4.30pm on Monday, January 19th, last year, he set off on the five-mile walk from Bandon to her farmhouse in Maulnaskimlehane, Kilbrittain. “I didn’t want the van to be seen,” he said.
The widow left in her car while he was stalking the house.
Hayes grabbed her as she opened her front door on her return. He tied her hands and demanded money. When she said it was in the bank, he demanded her bank card and pin.
She did not hand them over so he put her in the boot of her car and drove around for an hour. He eventually took her to his house, where he tied her more securely and gagged her.
Mrs Corcoran eventually gave her pin number and told him where he would find her card in her house. He wanted to knock her out so she wouldn’t raise the alarm while he was gone. He beat her over the head with a stick but when this did not work, he used a heavy table top.
He returned to her house and stole her bank cards. He claimed she was alive but unconscious when he returned, but had died by the morning.