Mammoth trial yields little comfort for family

DIRECTION?Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy directed the jury to return a verdict of not guilty. ?Pic: Keith Heneghan/Phocus

Mammoth trial yields little comfort for family


Summary
Anton McNulty

After 18 days of evidence, Martin Earley has been acquitted of the murder of Sandra Collins. And still no light has been cast on her final hours.
The trial of Martin Earley was probably one of the most-anticipated trials ever heard in Mayo, not only because it was a murder trial, but also because it was heard in the absence of a body. It is understood that this was the first murder trial in Ireland to go before a jury where a body was never found.
From the beginning of the trial it would always be a difficult task to prove, even for a prosecutor as experienced as senior counsel, Denis Vaughan Buckley, who was the lead prosecutor in the trial of wife-killer Joe O’Reilly in Dublin.
For the jury of nine men and three women, listening to the evidence in the lengthy trial was an unenviable task. At the beginning of the trial, they were told it would take at least three weeks and could run into a fourth. As the trial progressed it became apparent that it could take much longer.
The State’s case chiefly relied on circumstantial evidence and statements given by Martin Earley when questioned by gardaí in 2000 and 2001 and when he was arrested in relation to her murder in 2011.
Much of the early evidence centred on the last sightings of Sandra Collins and the revelation  that she was pregnant and was seeking to have a termination.
For the family of Sandra, hearing this evidence must have been difficult, but from the day of Mr Earley’s arraignment to his acquittal they were ever present, listening attentively to all the evidence and legal argument.
The accused, Martin Earley, sat throughout the trial facing the jury, often consulting with his solicitor, Alan Gannon, when witnesses were giving evidence. At times, the evidence could not have been easy for him or his family, but he showed little emotion in the trial and often sat with his hands in pockets.
The trial was often interrupted by legal argument in the absence of the jury, with both the defence and prosecution arguing over what evidence the jury should be allowed to hear. As a result, there was no real flow to the evidence and the trial.
With the absence of a body and the state relying on circumstantial evidence, including Mr Earley’s many contradictory statements to gardaí to convict him, it was no surprise when MicheΡl O’Higgins rose to apply for an acquittal.
As Mr Justice McCarthy read his conclusion, the sound of sobs could be heard from the Collins family as the realisation that their 14-year wait for justice was not over. Many of the investigating gardaí bowed their heads as they realised years of investigation had come to nothing. They were told by Mr Justice McCarthy that there investigation was ‘outstanding’ and to the ‘highest standard’, but it was not enough.
The accused shed tears when the jury was directed to acquit him of the murder, and he was embraced by some family members and supporters who were present to hear the ruling. He walked from the courthouse a free man.
The Collins family quietly slipped into a side room, still no wiser about what happened to Sandra on the night she disappeared.