Murder accused knew stabbing boyfriend with chef’s knife would ‘more than hurt him’
A murder accused has agreed that she knew that stabbing her boyfriend with a big chef’s knife would "do more than hurt him".
The mother-of-three was being cross-examined by the State for a second day in her murder trial at the Central Criminal Court.
Paula Farrell (aged 46) of Rathmullen Park in Drogheda has pleaded not guilty to murdering 30-year-old Wayne McQuillan, but guilty to his manslaughter at that address on New Year’s morning in 2014. She admits to stabbing him four times.
She entered the witness box on Tuesday. She told her barrister, Caroline Biggs SC, that the deceased had tried to have sex with her, that she hadn’t wanted to have sex, and that he had started strangling her before she went to the kitchen for the knife.
Gerard Clarke SC, prosecuting, began cross-examining her on Wednesday.
She agreed that she hadn’t told the gardaí about the alleged sex assault in her interviews, but denied that it was a lie.
Mr Clarke continued his cross-examination today.
He mentioned "an opportunity" she’d had to tell gardaí about the sexual assault allegation in interview.
“I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to believe what happened to me,” she explained.
Ms Farrell agreed that she’d told gardaí that it wasn’t unusual for her to be in an argument. Mr Clarke asked her if she was referring to arguing with the deceased.
“With anybody” she replied.
She further agreed that she’d told investigators: “I lash out at the people I love.” She confirmed in court that this was a true statement.
The accused also agreed that she’d told the detectives that she was full of anger.
“Isn’t that really an explanation for your behaviour - you’re full of anger?” asked Mr Clarke.
“Yeah,” she replied.
“And as a result of your anger, Mr McQuillan ended up dead?” he asked.
“No,” she replied. “He didn’t die because of my anger.”
She said that he had been "killing" her.
“You knew that sticking this big chef’s knife into him was going to do more than hurt him, didn’t you?” he asked.
“Yes,” she agreed.
“So, you wanted to do more than hurt him?” he asked.
“I didn’t want him dead,” she replied.
“I just wanted to scare him.”
She agreed that threatening him with the knife would have scared him.
She also agreed that he’d probably still be alive if she hadn’t stabbed him the second time.
“So the first stab wound, which wasn’t fatal, hurt him, which is what you wanted to do,” suggested Mr Clarke.
“It would have scared him, which is what you say you wanted to do, but you didn’t leave it at that. You stuck the knife into him fully with the second stab, isn’t that right?” he asked.
“Yeah,” replied Ms Farrell.
Mr Clarke will continue his cross-examination of the accused tomorrow morning.
