Greed and hatred motivated Catherine Nevin to organise her husband's murder, the Jury at her trial were told today. In his closing speech prosecuting counsel Tom O'Connell suggested to the jury that Tom Nevin's killer or killers either had keys to Jack White's Inn or were admitted by Catherine Nevin. Catherine Nevin is charged with murder and with soliciting three men, John Jones, Gerry Heapes and William McClean to kill him.
In his closing speech to the jury today prosecuting counsel Tom O'Connell told the jury that they should consider the soliciting charges before going on to consider the murder charge. He said a finding of guilt on one or more of the soliciting charges was necessary to support a finding on the murder charge.
The prosecution says that the soliciting of the three men demonstrates that Catherine Nevin had a fixed purpose and design to kill Tom Nevin. Her motive was greed and hatred and her design was to engage a hit man. Tom O'Connell said it was a far-fetched and utterly unreasonable coincidence that a stranger had fortuitously accomplished her design by shooting Mr Nevin.
Mr O'Connell also told the jury they were entitled to take into account Mrs Nevin's evidence in court and her demeanour. He said it was noticeable that when Catherine Nevin came to tricky parts her voice dropped and she was audibly sniffling without any tears. But when she talked about trivial details of the routine of life she shifted to composed volubility. This type of behaviour, he suggested was the refuge of the mendacious witness.
Mr O'Donnell went through the evidence of the prosecution witnesses and pointed to inconsistencies in Catherine Nevin's statements. An elaborate lie demands great concentration to keep all the elements together, he said. He said evidence showed ex-inspector Tom Kennedy was at Jack White's Inn morning noon and night. Mrs Nevin was having an affair with Tom Kennedy, he claimed, adding that the prosecution was not concerned with the affair but with the lies. He will complete his closing speech in the morning.
