The trial of the woman accused of the murder of local pensioner Maire Rankin continued before Belfast Crown Court on Wednesday 28th September
. It was claimed at Court by the prosecution that the accused, Ms Karen Walsh staged a sex attack in order to try and cover her tracks.
It was the prosecutions case that Ms Walsh went to Mrs. Rankins property drunk following an argument with her husband. They stated that Ms Walsh attacked Mrs. Rankin following the pensioner telling her that she was ruining her life. The prosecution, who cross examined Ms Walsh for a second day claimed that Ms Walsh did not want an old woman telling her how to live her life and that she beat her and hit her with a crucifix.
They further claimed that Ms Walsh then tried to cover up her actions after she realised that Mrs. Rankin was dead. It was put to Ms Walsh that she threw things around Ms Rankins room in an attempt to make it look like the place had been ransacked and claimed that the sexual assault was to make it look like a man had carried out the attack. Ms Walsh denied all allegations put to her and stated that she could not have been nicer to her neighbour.
The prosecution claim that they can connect Ms Walsh to the scene, Mrs. Rankins body and the crucifix by DNA evidence however Ms Walsh claims that she hugged and kissed Mrs Rankin before she left. The prosecution further claim that Ms Walsh telephoned her husband in a state of panic and said that the evidence would support his version of events and suggest that it would be correct.
The jury also heard evidence from Dr Declan Gilsenan, the former assistant State Pathologist in the Republic of Ireland. Dr Gilsenan told the Court that he is of the belief that Mrs. Rankin died as a result of a cardiac arrhythmia, which was brought on by the stress of the attack. He further stated that he believed that the bruising to Mrs. Rankins forehead were caused as a result of her hair being pulled from her head and not from being struck.
The jury has previously heard from the State Pathologist of Northern Ireland Professor Jack Crane who advised the Court that it was his belief that Mrs. Rankin had been sexually assaulted. However Dr Gilsenan said that he believed that the injury, which he referred to as trivial, was caused by Mrs. Rankin falling into a piece of furniture. He also stated that the 15 rib fractures which Mrs. Rankin suffered were caused by someone trying to resuscitate her.