The trial of a Westmeath woman for the murder of her husband 23 years ago has heard she threatened to sign her daughter into a psychiatric unit if she disclosed what happened.
Vera McGrath from Lower Coole, Coole denies killing Bernard Brian McGrath at the family home in March or April 1987 while her co-accused Colin Pinder from Liverpool denies murder but admits manslaughter.
Chief prosecution witness Veronica McGrath says she saw her fiance at the time Colin Pinder and her mother Vera kill her father Brian McGrath 23 years ago.
She denies that she played a role in beating the 43 year old to death at the back of the family home in Lower Coole or that the attack was sparked by a racist remark from her father to her future husband.
Today under cross examination Veronica McGrath agreed her mother and her argued about events that night.
She said she was threatened that if it were all to come out no-one would believe her, that she would be signed into St. Loman’s Hospital and her younger brothers would end up in a home.
She said she was very upset and traumatised and tried to commit suicide on a number of occasions.
