The trial of Joe O'Reilly accused of the murder of his wife, Rachel, has heard evidence about a letter he placed in her coffin before she was buried.
Mr O'Reilly has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his wife at their home at Lambay View in Beldarragh, The Naul, Co Dublin in October of 2004.
The court heard that Joe O'Reilly put a five-page hand written letter into his wife's coffin on 8 October 2004, saying he loved her and missed her very much.
He said she was the best thing that had ever happened to him.
He also said, 'Rachel, forgive me, two words, one sentence, but I'll say them forever.'
Barrister Hugh McGinn for the State read the contents of the letter from Garda Evidence. The letter was found in the coffin along with other notes and cards when Rachel O'Reilly's remains were exhumed as part of the investigation into her death.
As the letter was being read, Mr O'Reilly sat and cried.
Teachers from the couples son's school recalled the day of Rachel's death. She had dropped off a form and insurance money at the school office that morning and Joe O'Reilly himself called to the school to collect his son that afternoon.
Almost 180 witnesses have been listed for the trial which is being heard before Mr Justice Barry White.
It resumes in the morning.
Jury of eleven
The trial which began with 12 jurors is now proceeding with 11, after one member of the jury was discharged this afternoon.
Mr Justice White decided to discharge the jury member after she confirmed that, shortly before she was sworn in as a jury member this morning, she had had a conversation with another prospective juror about the case.
The other prospective juror, a man who was not selected for the jury, had contacted the court over lunchtime to tell the Judge about the conversation.
Mr Justice White thanked the man publicly for coming forward. He told the woman his decision to discharge her from the jury was not a reflection on her as a juror, but he said justice must not only be done, but be seen to be done.
The trial is now proceeding with 11 jurors, nine men and two women.
