Gemma Dwyer appeared nervous as she took the stand at the Central Criminal Court on day 25 of her husband's murder trial.
Her blonde hair obscured her face as she walked to the witness box and there was a slight tremor in her voice as she answered the opening questions of prosecution counsel Sean Guerin SC.
Beginnings
She quickly confirmed the basics of her relationship with her husband Graham Dwyer.
They started dating in 1997 while architect students at DIT Bolton Street. Three years later they bought a cottage in Rathmines, did it up and then moved to their current address at Kerrymount Close in Foxrock in 2007.
She described how they juggled their job and family commitments as a working couple with two young children.
The court heard of her husband's interests; model aeroplanes; cycling; and cars, paricularly his Porsche 911 which he called his 'baby'.
He 'could do anything' with computers, disliked smoking, and had a tattoo on his left shoulder of a symbol from the Book of Kells from before her time.
A significant date
She agreed with Mr Guerin, prosecuting, that she has 'no specific recollection' of Wednesday, August 22nd, 2012, the day Graham Dwyer is alleged to have stabbed Elaine O'Hara.
However she did recall the 13th September, 2013, the date when the childcare worker's skeletal remains were found at Killakee mountain by a dog walker.
'The date has some significance, it's my birthday and Graham's birthday,' she said.
The jury heard they went for a Mexican meal on South Great George's Street to celebrate and took a Luas home. She didn't recall him reacting to the discovery of the body.
The Garden spade
She said she knew nothing of her husband ordering a hunting knife online, which the jury heard was delivered to Graham Dwyer's workplace, A&D Wejchert architects on Baggot Street, on August 21st 2012, the day before Elaine O'Hara went missing.
When Mr Guerin showed her a photograph of a spade recovered in a wooded area near the body at Killakee Gemma Dwyer said she recognised it from her garden because there were 'orangey red' paint splashes on it.
The jury heard she used the spade to clean up the neighbour's dog mess and had noticed it was missing for the summer of 2013.
'I mentioned it to Graham a number of times. In the end I used a plastic spade from the sandpit,'' she said.
''I wasn't totally honest with you"
Gemma Dwyer's evidence for the prosecution ended with her confirming that she received a letter from her husband on the 28th February last year, extracts of which were read out by Sean Guerin SC.
“Do not believe the Gardaí. They actually have no evidence, apart from my name and someone else’s phone number in that awful girl’s diary.
“I did know her, yes. I was helping her and I wasn’t totally honest with you.
“There is another man, someone who likes Real Madrid and wears pink underwear, who is involved in this.
“I believe this girl committed suicide and this man disposed of some embarrassing items on her behalf.''
He concluded the letter by saying he should have gone to the gardai when she went missing.
Graham Dwyer denies murdering Elaine O'Hara at Killakee mountain on the day she was discharged from a psychiatric unit.
The prosecution alleges he was in a BDSM relationship with the childcare worker that involved stabbing and that he killed her to satisfy his own sexual appetites.
