The trial of Oliver Hayes, the man accused of the murder of Anne Corcoran in Cork last year, has heard that a forensic examination of his house was made difficult because of the large quantity of rubbish and old furniture inside.
The 50-year-old from Clancool Terrace, Bandon, has admitted manslaughter, false imprisonment and theft, but denies murdering the 60-year-old widow in January 2009.
Gardai told the court that the examination of his house was made difficult because rubbish and furniture was piled from floor to ceiling in some of the rooms.
In those rooms a blood-stained shirt was found downstairs while blood stains were also found on a wall, a door frame and on the underside of a cooker hob, a wine rack and a coal shovel which were found in an upstairs bedroom.
Sgt David O’Regan said gardaí had to remove many items of old furniture from the house before they could properly examine it.
He said the floor was not visible in some of the rooms and many doors were blocked with wardrobes and other items of furniture.
The trial also heard how five withdrawals of €600 were made from Mrs Corcoran's account in the days after her disappearance.
Four attempts were also made to withdraw money from an ATM using her credit card.
These were unsuccessful because a wrong PIN was used.
The jury was shown CCTV footage of a man withdrawing money from machines in Bandon and Inishannon between the 20 and 24 January 2009.
The jury was also shown two jackets, a blood-stained denim shirt and some nylon rope recovered from the home of Mr Hayes.
The court was also told that Mr Hayes was due to pay his motor insurance by instalment but paid the full amount in January 2009.
He also paid an outstanding bill for car repairs due since 2007.
At the opening of the trial the jury was told that Mr Hayes admitted abducting Mrs Corcoran and stealing from her bank accounts but he said he only hit her to knock her unconscious after she had given him her PIN.
The trial continues tomorrow at the Central Criminal Court.
