A TEXT MESSAGE reading: ‘Must get fit for the murder’ was found backed up onto Elaine O’Hara’s laptop, the Graham Dwyer trial has heard.
The 20th day of the murder trial also heard that the number sending the message was attributed to a person called ‘Graham’ elsewhere on her computer.
Mr Dwyer (42) is charged with Ms O’Hara’s murder at Killakee, Rathfarnham on 22 August 2012, hours after she was discharged from a mental health hospital.
The Cork-born father of three of Kerrymount Close, Foxrock, Dublin has pleaded not guilty to murdering the 36-year-old childcare worker on that date.
The jury in the Central Criminal Court trial heard evidence from computer crime experts, who examined Ms O’Hara’s Apple Mac with which an iPhone had been synced.
Detective Garda Bríd Wallace of the Computer Crime Unit carried out the first step of the process to extract text messages that had been backed up onto the laptop.
She said she had also identified an 083 number in Ms O’Hara’s calendar as part of her examination of a forensic copy of its hard drive.
The jury was shown a screen shot of the calendar from 30 June 2011. It read: “Graham’s phone number 083 1103474.”
Detective Sergeant Alan Browne testified that he used PhotoRec software to extract 14 files containing hundreds of SMS messages from a forensic copy of the hard drive.
The sergeant, who is also a forensics lecturer, explained that this software can retrieve even deleted files, whether the user had deleted them or they had been automatically deleted by successive back-ups.
The jury was then shown screenshots of the work he carried out to change information into a ‘human, readable format’. The screenshots included two text messages sent to the iPhone from a number, 083 1103474.
“Good, looking forward to getting new bike tomorrow to try and lose weight,” read one message. “Must get fit for the murder.”
Another message from that 083 number read: “Terrible. 15% pay cut and came 5th in flying.”
D Sgt Browne explained that the date appearing on screen was the number of seconds from 1 January 1970.
“So that’s probably 2011 or 2012,” he said.
However, the jury was told that it would be supplied with the exact date and the content of all the text messages later in the trial.
The witness then moved onto some text messages for which he had exact dates. The first was received from the same 083 number on 31 March 2011.
It read: “Yes, beautiful baby girl (name of child). Glad you enjoyed the other night. Many more sessions like it to come. See u sometime over the weekend.”
D Sgt Browne confirmed that the name of the child was in the text message but was not being displayed or read out in court.
The next message read out had been sent in the other direction, this time to the 083 number.
It read: “Sir, any chance you can get an 086 phone sim? I get free texts.”
Next shown was a message sent to the backed-up iPhone from the 083 number on 15 November 2011.
It read: “No problem. Away in Poland tomorrow so see u Sunday.”
Pre-pay phones
An employee of the O2 store on Grafton Street testified that he sold two Nokia mobile phones to one person on 30 November 2011.
Paul Healy identified the sales receipt for a prepay purchase from 4.30pm that day. It was also shown on screen.
Written in the section for customer name were the words: “Mr. Asked – Not given.”
Mr Healy explained that, at the time, a customer did not have to supply details when making a prepay purchase. This has changed now, he said.
He explained that each phone would have come with a phone number but that there was room for only one number on the receipt. This was 086 1759151.
Mr Healy also gave the IMEI or serial numbers for both Nokia 616 phones, which were purchased along with two pre-pay sim starter packs.
The total cost was €69.98 and this was paid in cash, he said.
The jury also heard from witnesses, who had been requested by the Gardaí to track down where and when seven separate mobile phone top ups were purchased.
Ann O’Reilly manages An Post’s Fraud Investigations Unit and she testified that one of the top ups was purchased on 3 July 2012 in Centra on Cathal Brugha Street. Another was purchased on 24 July 2012 in Ballsbridge Deli on Merrion Road in Ballsbridge.
Her colleague, Mícheál Spain, confirmed that both of those top ups were for O2.
Brian Tobin, operations manager with Payzone, said Gardaí requested details of five phone credit purchases from him.
He was able to confirm that these purchases were made on 25 March 2011 at the 3 Store on Grafton Street; on 22 November and 1 December 2011 at Jones Deli, Baggot Street; on 30 November 2011 at The Market, Belarmine, Stepaside; and on 28 March 2012 in Centra, Cornelscourt.
The trial has heard that Ms O’Hara was last seen in Shanganagh, South Dublin on the evening of 22 August. Her skeletal remains were discovered at Killakee on Friday, 13 September 2013. A cause of death could not be determined.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Tony Hunt and a jury of five women and seven men.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say