Murder trial hears love notes found in van

The Belfast trial of murdered Co Fermanagh businessman Mr Gerry McGinley heard yesterday that scraps of two "obliterated" love…

The Belfast trial of murdered Co Fermanagh businessman Mr Gerry McGinley heard yesterday that scraps of two "obliterated" love notes were found in a note book uncovered in the van of his business partner Mr Michael Monaghan.

Mr Monaghan (44), Ann Street, Enniskillen, and his alleged lover 34-year-old Ms Julie McGinley, Windmill Drive, in the town deny the murder of her husband in August 2000.

A forensic handwriting expert told the Crown Court that on two pages of the notebook he had uncovered the notes which "had been obliterated by scribbling".

Both notes were addressed to "Julie" and talked of love.

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The first read that "there's not one minute of every day that goes by that you are not in my mind".

The expert, Mr Steven Maxwell, said there were parts of the second note which he could not decipher.

However, in it the writer said he had been meaning to write to "Julie" for sometime.

The note also contained the phrase "do love you" and told "Julie" that "if anything happens to me or goes wrong don't worry".

The note also informed her that "if there's anything you need or want to talk about all you have to do is phone and I will be there".

Earlier a friend of Mr Monaghan, Mr Michael McIlroy claimed he had told him when asked about Mr McGinley's disappearance, that "psychotic bastard will not be coming back".

However, under cross-examination he admitted not only having difficulty in remembering exactly and precisely what words were used but also in remembering what happened "two years down the line".

He said he never met Gerry McGinley and claimed that Mr Monaghan told him of his disappearance on the Monday after he had gone missing.

Mr McIlroy also told of a confrontation he witnessed between Mr Monaghan and his wife Patricia at the Tempo Road furniture store which he ran with the McGinley's.

He claimed that Mrs Monaghan got out of her car and called to her husband "I want to see you, you big bastard".

Mr McIlroy claimed the couple got back into their car and "I seen her [Mrs Monaghan] hitting Mick a slap in the face".

He also claimed Monaghan later told him that his wife confronted Mrs McGinley in the shop "and hit Julie a slap in the face as well".

Mr McIlroy who admitted he had a criminal record going back 30 years, but denied having a drink problem, accepted that he had difficulty with his memory and his hearing.

The case continues today.