Santina Cawley

Santina's separated parents, Michael Cawley and Bridgie O 'Donoghue, were both in court when the registrar confirmed the verdict. Mr Cawley had been in a ...

Dr Bolster also listed extensive bruising including to Santina’s forehead, side of the face, lower jaw as well as upper right arm, lower left arm, hands and feet, while she also found a tear to the philtrum or piece of flesh between the upper lip and gum, usually associated with a blow to the mouth. The couple had been drinking together at the apartment of a friend of Harrington’s, also in the Elderwood complex, but a row had broken about between them with Mr Cawley calling Harrington “a whore and a prostitute” before she went home alone shortly before 1.30am. A 38-year-old-woman has been been given a life sentence after being convicted of the murder of a two- year-old girl found with extensive injuries in her apartment in Cork city three years ago.

Ms Harrington was in a relationship with Michael Cawley, the father of the child, at the time of the offence. The trial was told that Mr Cawley trusted Ms ...

The last she remembered was that Santina was asleep on a duvet in the living room of the property. She also agreed that she and Santina were alone for a period of time in the apartment. In his closing statement to the jury, defence senior counsel Brendan Grehan said that his client was a person with no history of violence. The trial had heard that Mr Cawley and Ms Harrington had socialised at the apartment of her friend Martina Higgins at Elderwood Drive on the evening of July 4th. He stated that Mr Olney told him that Ms Harrington had been “screaming and roaring” at the baby. Ms Harrington conceded that she had not seen anyone else harm the child. She got on with Santina and Santina would have got on with her. Mr Cawley said that he would only have been absent for five minutes if he had been able to gain access to his phone. He became emotional and broke down crying in the box when the defence showed him CCTV footage of himself and his daughter Santina shopping in Aldi in Cork the day before she was found critically injured. The trial was told that Mr Cawley trusted Ms Harrington and had no concerns about leaving his girl with her. Dr Bolster told prosecution counsel Sean Gillane SC that the blunt force trauma arose when Santina was struck with something or struck against something. Her father had made the six-kilometre journey from Boreenmanna Road by foot to find out the fate of his daughter.

The eleven jurors – one was excused early in the case – are back in their jury room at the Central Criminal Court sitting at Anglesea Street courthouse in Cork.

They deliberated on Friday for one hour and 14 minutes before the judge directed them to suspend their deliberations for the weekend and resume today. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath told the four women and seven men of the jury that they must exclude any sympathy they have for the accused and her family or for the deceased and her family. The judge told them they must try the case coldly and dispassionately.

Karen Harrington had denied murdering the toddler in her apartment at Lakeland's Crescent in Mahon, Co Cork on July 5th 2019. In July 2019, Karen Harrington was ...

This was a reference to the hours in which Santina suffered the injuries that eventually claimed her life. The jury heard distressing evidence of how she died as a result of a traumatic brain injury and an injury to her spinal cord. On the day in question the jury heard the couple had been drinking, and that following a row Michael left her alone in the apartment with Santina.

After four hours and 46 minutes, the jury returned their unanimous guilty verdict on Monday afternoon. Karen Harrington was found guilty of the murder of ...

"I would like to thank the community in Cork for their assistance and co-operation with the investigation team throughout the investigation into the murder of Santina," he said, Karen Harrington of Lakeland’s Crescent in Cork was on trial for a fortnight at a Central Criminal Court sitting in the city charged with the murder of Santina Cawley in July 2019. The lead investigator in the murder of Cork toddler Santina Cawley thanked the Cork community, Gardai, and investigators who worked on the case for the last three years after a unanimous guilty verdict in the the trial of Karen Harrington today.

Karen Harrington, with an address at Lakelands Crescent, Mahon, in Co Cork, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of the child at an apartment in the city almost ...

Bridget O Donoghue said her daughter was the baby of the family and was "cherished and spoiled by us all". She accepted that the evidence pointed towards her. Mr Justice McGrath called the jury back to court at 3.44pm and the jury's verdict was read out: guilty of the murder of Santina Cawley.

Father Michael Cawley and mother Bridget O'Donoghue delivered powerful victim impact statements.

I hope in her short life she will remember how much she was loved and adored by me and her brothers and sisters and the bond she shared with her nana." She knew all the names of the Teletubbies and was a happy soul. "My last memory of Santina was her hugging and squeezing me and not wanting to leave me. "I hope in Santina’s last moment she remembered and felt the love of me her mother, her nana and family. Her hands were cold, and she was so pale." Santina was always in our thoughts," he said. Ms O’Donoghue thanked gardaí, ambulance and fire services, and the media. She was small but she was a fighter. "She was very cute for her age. I miss the sound of her sweet little voice, her laugh, her smile, her beautiful blue eyes and red hair. She was my pride and joy. “When I look at some of her clothes and toys in her bedroom it breaks my heart.

A woman has been found guilty of the murder of a two year old girl in Cork who sustained 53 catastrophic injuries including fractures to her skull, ...

Mr Gillane said that in the defendant’s statements to gardai she indicated that when Michael left the apartment at 3am she comforted the child and took care of her. Her sisters Janice and Michelle also gave evidence where they said that she had taken over the raising of her siblings as a teenager because of family issues. In his closing statement to the jury defence Senior Counsel Brendan Grehan said that his client was a person with no history of violence. Mr Gillane said that if Santina didn’t do it, and neither Michael Cawley or a mysterious stranger was responsible for the death who was. She also agreed that she and Santina were alone for a period of time in the apartment. Karen said it was not a question for her to answer. The trial had heard that Michael and Karen had socialised at the apartment of her friend Martina Higgins at Elderwood Drive on the evening of July 4th. Mr Cawley said that he was distraught when he returned to Miss Harrington’s apartment on the 5th of July shortly after 5am to find kitchen chairs on the floor, blood and glass broken in the property. He stated that Mr Olney told him that Karen had been “screaming and roaring” at the baby. She got on with Santina and and Santina would have got on with her. Mr Cawley said that he would only have been absent for five minutes if he had been able to gain access to his phone. The trial was told that Mr Cawley trusted Karen and had no concerns about leaving his girl with her.

The mother of two-year-old murder victim Santina Cawley is left with questions for the 38-year-old woman who is starting a life sentence for murdering her ...

"She was clever and very bright. She brought so much joy to our family and her brothers and sister adored her. Karen Harrington replied, “I am not saying he is making that up. He said (in evidence in court) he heard Santina crying. “Santina was always in our thoughts. The jury foreman said they had.

Santina Cawley had 49 external and four injuries which consultant paediatrician, Prof Deirdre Murray described in a statement read to the jury, as “devastating.

She conceded Santina was in hysterics and was crying but she said any noise anyone heard was from her argument with Cawley when he returned to the flat shortly after 3am. In his summing up Gillane acknowledged he had no eyewitness to the murder of Santina Cawley but the evidence was still strong. “Don’t tell me it’s Santina blood …. I can’t explain it, I can’t explain it,” said Harrington, adding she had no recollection of changing her blood-stained-pyjama leggings that night, much as she had no recollection of what happened in the apartment. Her position was clear and consistent from the outset - she did not murder Santina Cawley. Harrington broke down when gardaí showed her photos of the clumps of hair they found on a couch and asked her about it. “That is not how to comfort a crying child - it is the opposite ‘Aw poor baby’, sarcastic and then ‘Shut up’.” “The next thing I heard a child crying - just a child crying coming from next door …. I did not think a child should be crying in that kind of a situation. “Karen came to the door and said from inside the door ‘Is it the guards? Cawley had been looking after two of the boys but when Santina suffered a broken femur while with Bridget, the two boys returned to live with their mother and Cawley began caring for Santina at his flat at Leeside Apartments on Grattan St in the city centre. “It was the shock of my life - finding my daughter was a terrible shock,” he said under cross examination. Family friend, Yvonne Walsh, whom Harrington called to on the morning of the murder after she left her apartment where Santina was found unresponsive, painted a similar picture. Now Karen wasn’t one to put up with crap from people but anyone who knew her growing up here in Mahon would say they never saw her lose it to the point of getting violent - at least not publicly.”

The verdict comes after a lengthy four-week trial, during which Ms Harrington took the stand and claimed she did not murder the child.

The accused made no reply. “I ask myself the same. Ms Harrington said she accepted Santina was alive and alone with her at the time when Mr Cawley left and went walking into Cork city centre, as seen on CCTV footage shown to the jury, but she said she could not confirm if Santina was uninjured at the time Mr Cawley left.

The parents of two-year-old Santina Cawley, have asked how anyone could be so cruel to their “beautiful, happy, fun-loving” child as Karen Harrington was ...

She knew all the names of the Teletubbies and was a happy soul. "When I look at some of her clothes and toys in her bedroom, it breaks my heart. She was my pride and joy. Santina's father, Michael Cawley, and mother, Bridget O'Donoghue, attended multiple days of the trial, which opened on April 25. Karen Harrington does not accept that she is responsible for inflicting these injuries." She was small but she was a fighter. She brought joy to my heart. "She was very cute for her age. “The worst thing was finding her disfigured body under a blanket. “She was a premature baby. This is beyond words. "When I asked to see her, she was put in my arms and I could not believe the condition of her – she was covered in bruises from head to toe – her hands were cold and she was so pale,” she said.

Karen Harrington was today convicted of the murder of the Cork toddler. “SANTINA was a beautiful, happy, friendly, caring, fun-loving” two-and-a-half-year- ...

Karen Harrington (38) was jailed for life after a Central Criminal Court jury found her guilty by unanimous verdict of the shocking killing of Santina Cawley (2) ...

The child was found naked and blood-spattered. She was small but she was a fighter. The judge said it was “truly shocking” how “an innocent and defenceless child” could be subjected to such a terrible death. Santina was always in our thoughts.” She was very soft and gentle yet was hardy, determined and a little fighter.” “She was a premature baby.