The jury in murder trial of farmer Patrick Quirke has heard that he told Gardaí he never threatened Bobby Ryan and didn't kill him.
The 50-year-old farmer from Breanshamore, County Tipperary is accused of murdering him sometime between June 3rd 2011 and April 30th 2013.
In a statement to Gardaí in May 2013, Patrick Quirke said he was afraid of Mary Lowry, a woman he described as "vicious."
The court has already heard he had an affair with her after her husband died - and that she was in a relationship with Bobby Ryan when he went missing.
Run-off tank
Mr Quirke was the one who found the local DJ’s body in a run-off tank on her land in April 2013 - 22 months after he went missing.
He wasn't under arrest when he first spoke to Gardaí about finding the body.
He said he found the body as he prepared to go spreading slurry.
He said he got a shock and wasn't thinking or acting straight when he rang his wife who called over to confirm it was a body before she called Gardaí.
"Seedy affair"
He said he was afraid of Mrs Lowry, a woman with whom he cheated on his wife with in what she called a “seedy affair” after her husband died.
He said this was his only crime and his name was mud in the town he’d spent his whole life in because of it.
He described her as “vicious” and claimed she verbally abused him in her yard the evening before the discovery.
He said he also had a theory something sinister had happened to Bobby because all the alternatives didn't make sense to him.
"Disgusted"
This afternoon, the court heard he told Gardaí he was disgusted with Mrs Lowry's attitude towards him after she brought an end to their relationship.
He said she was seeing Mr Ryan at the time.
He said she didn't seem bothered about Bobby’s disappearance and was quite indifferent about it.
"Other man"
He said she met another guy in March 2012 and he wished her well. He said he didn't want to be the “other man” again.
He denied ever threatening Bobby in any way and said he did not kill him.
He told Gardaí: “there’s somebody out there who did it and he is laughing at the moment because you are looking at me and I’m doing everything I can to clear my name.”
Reporting from Frank Greaney at the Central Criminal Court
