The jury in the trial of Oliver Hayes, accused of the murder of Anne Corcoran in Cork last year, has been hearing closing arguments from the prosecution and the defence.
The 49-year-old, from Clancool Terrace in Bandon, admits manslaughter and robbery but denies murdering the 60-year-old widow on the 19 January 2009.
Counsel for the prosecution John O'Kelly told the jury that Oliver Hayes was a clever and sometimes convincing liar.
He said if ever there was a case of murder, this was it, and urged the jury to return that verdict.
He said Mr Hayes had exhibited a remarkable and shocking level of callousness and calculation from the beginning and continued to do so in the witness box.
He said he had deliberately targeted Ms Corcoran, a 60-year-old widow. Just because his primary motive was money, he could not treat her death as collateral damage.
He said everything that led to the death of Ms Corcoran was done by Mr Hayes.
The blows to the head and the complications with breathing due to her being gagged and bound were all his actions, he said.
'This was a human being whose life was snuffed out by a cold and callous robber when she was no longer needed and when she was a substantial liability because she could have identified him.
Blaise O'Carroll for the defence told the jury that right from the start Mr Hayes told gardaí he did not mean to kill Ms Corcoran.
He said while the prosecution said he showed no remorse, it was clear from garda interviews that he acted in a remorseful fashion.
There was an outpouring of emotion, leading to tears in the interviews.
He said Mr Hayes had run the gauntlet of cross examination and when he gave more detail he was accused of making things up.
He said these details may have been left out of his garda statements as he was giving them at a time shortly after a traumatic event.
Mr O'Carroll said if the garda statements had taken a step by step approach then all of the information may have been given at the beginning.
He also said that relatives of Ms Corcoran were relieved of the 'deep abyss of suffering and pain' by Mr Hayes telling gardaí where her body was buried.
He said there was a degree of stupidity involved on the part of Mr Hayes, evidenced by Ms Corcoran's ability to free her hands four times.
He said this was not a professional robber who knew what he was doing. It showed he had not thought it through but was propelled by greed.
He said he came to a 'crazy conclusion' that he had to knock her out after getting her pin number and had at first used a stick to try to knock her out before using a heavier piece of wood.
He reminded the jury of the pathologist's finding that postural asphyxia had contributed to her death and asked would Oliver Hayes have known that applying the gag could lead to asphyxia.
He certainly inflicted harm before knocking her out but there was no fracture of the skull and only moderate force was used, Mr O Carroll said.
He said Oliver Hayes was under financial pressure at the time with large debts and no work available.
The jury is expected to begin considering its verdict tomorrow.
