The woman accused of murdering two-year-old Santina Cawley took the stand today and repeated her denial that she had anything to do with the injuries or death of the child.
38-year-old Karen Harrington of Lakelands Crescent, Mahon, Cork, was charged with the murder of Santina Cawley at Elderwood Park apartments on Boreenmanna Road on July 5th, 2019.
Karen Harrinton told the jury at today's Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that she could not explain what happened to Santina Cawley in her apartment on the night in question and said she had nothing to do with inflicting any injury on the toddler.
Defence Senior counsel Brendan Grehan asked his client what she wanted to tell the court immediately when she entered the witness box. Harrington replied "That I did not murder Santina Cawley."
Prosecution senior counsel Sean Gillane asked the accused who killed Santina if she hadn't. Harrington said she could not answer that, before agreeing that the child did not cause the extensive injuries she was found with herself.
She also said she did not accept that she was the only person in the apartment that night and said she was woken around 3am by Michael Cawley returning home with Santina.
The prosecution asked if she accepted that Cawley had left the apartment after a few minutes, to which she replied that she accepted that her and Santina were alone in the apartment.
Karen Harrington said she couldn't confirm whether Santina was injured or not when Michael Cawley left the apartment as she didn't know anything about the injuries other than what she had heard in court.
The case continues.
