A woman on trial charged with the murder of a two year old child in Cork told gardai that she fell asleep in her apartment only to be woken by her then partner who accused her of killing his daughter.
Karen Harrington is on trial at a Central Criminal sitting in Cork charged with the murder of Santina Cawley at an apartment in 26 Elderwood Park, in Boreenmanna Road in the city, on July 5th, 2019.
At the time she was in a relationship with Michael Cawley, the father of the deceased.
RedFM's Lana O'Connor has this report which some listeners may find distressing:
"A woman on trial charged with the murder of a two year old child in Cork told Gardaí that she fell asleep in her apartment only to be woken by her then partner who accused her of killing his daughter.
Karen Harrington is on trial at a Central Criminal sitting in Cork charged with the murder of Santina Cawley at an apartment in 26 Elderwood Park, in Boreenmanna Road in the city, on July 5th, 2019.
At the time she was in a relationship with Michael Cawley, the father of the deceased.
RedFM's Lana O'Connor has this report which some listeners may find distressing}
Karen Harrington who was in a relationship at the time with Michael Cawley, the father of the deceased, was arrested in connection with the murder of Santina on the 8th of July, 2019.
Memos of a number of the Garda interviews were read to the jury this afternoon.
The court heard that during her detention Karen told Gardaí that she had had an argument with Michael Cawley in the early hours of the 5th of July at her then apartment in 26 Elderwood Park.
She said that later in the morning when she and Santina were alone in the apartment, Santina was crying while she was holding her in her arms, trying to calm her. She says the child was roasting and that her last memory was of taking Santina's clothes off.
She put a blanket over the toddler and intended to check her later and then Karen fell asleep
She says the next memory was of being woken by Michael Cawley who had returned to the apartment, standing in front of her with Santina saying "what did you do to my child?’ She said the toddler looked lifeless.
Karen told Gardaí that she panicked and ran from the apartment complex and went to the nearby home of another friend.
The case will resume on Monday".
