Karen Harrington of Lakelands Cresent in Cork is on trial at a Central Criminal Court sitting in the city, charged with the murder of Santina Cawley on the 5th of July 2019.
Harrington's neighbour at the Elderwood Park apartment complex on Boreenmanna Road, Aoife Niamh McGaley, told the court she heard Karen Harrington arguing with a person with a deep voice that she assumed was a man.
She said Karen's voice was muffled but she could hear her clearly saying 'I am telling. I am telling."
Earlier that morning at 1:27am Karen Harrington had phoned her neighbour asking to let her in to the entrance of the apartment building as the code wasn't working and the accused thought she had forgotten her key.
McGaley told the court that she heard a man and woman who sounded like Harrington arguing at 3am. She went to Harrington's apartment and heard sobbing when she got to the door.
McGaley said she was very concerned and started kicking and hitting the door and described Harrington as looking very distressed when she opened it.
The court heard that Harrington kept apologising and said she didn't mean to be "shouting and causing trouble."
The witness said she saw no sign of anyone else in the apartment, that she noticed a mark on Harrington's face and said it looked like a chunk of hair had been ripped out of her head.
She told the court that she got the impression that Harrington was scared.
The case continues this afternoon.
