A Portlaoise (25) man has gone on trial accused of murdering nanny, Aoife Phelan (30). Robert Corbet of Sheffield Cross in Co. Laois denies the murder charge but admits manslaughter.

The jury has heard Aoife Phelan was reported missing by her parents on the 26th October 2012.

Opening the trial, prosecution barrister Isobel Kennedy said there will be evidence she was last seen leaving a friend Paul Bates' house around 8pm the previous night.

Gardai called to the accused Robert Corbet's house as part of their inquiries into her disappearance but he had gone to the United states on a pre-booked flight

When he returned home on the 4th November, he gave a statement to gardai in which he told them that he had just ended a relationship with a woman called Catriona Murphy.

He said he had met Aoife Phelan at a club in Portlaoise called 'Coppers'.

They had gone back to one of her friend's house and on one occasion had sexual contact, but not intercourse.

'Caught her round the neck with his forearm'

He said she subsequently told him that her period was late. He told gardai his last contact with her was a text message on October 14th.

However the jury heard there will be evidence he gave a different account to gardai when he was subsequently arrested.

He told detectives when he collected her from her friend's house on October 25th,she was being pushy about their relationship. He said he snapped and repeatedly struck her and dumped her body.

The jury heard he said he brought her to his garage, caught her round the neck with his forearm until she was motionless and put a black sack around her head and tied it with cable ties.

There will be evidence her body was found by a man using a digger at the rear of the Corbet property.

He will say he stopped the machine and called gardai when he saw what appeared to be a human leg wearing jeans and a boot.

The trial is expected to last two weeks.