Detective rejects claim interview process was 'tainted' in trial of man accused of murdering partner

Ryan Dunne

A detective garda who interviewed a 37-year-old man accused of murdering his partner has rejected claims that the interview process was “tainted” due to the man claiming he was too tired to remember what had happened.

“He changed his account three times,” Detective Sergeant Mark Looby told a jury at the Central Criminal Court on Monday, during the trial of Daniel Blanaru.

Mr Blanaru, from Rathmore, Athboy, Co Meath, has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Larisa Serban (26) on or about August 12th, 2022. It is the State's case that she was stabbed to death by Mr Blanaru, whom they argue was a “jealous” and "controlling" partner.

The jury previously heard that in garda interview, Mr Blanaru said that he “might have” stabbed Larisa with a “very sharp” knife, but he could not say how deep into her body it went.

He also told gardaí: “I am guilty, I killed her. Please lock me up.”

The jury today viewed video footage of Mr Blanaru’s interview in Ashbourne Garda Station on August 12th, 2022, with Det Sgt Looby being cross-examined by defence counsel, Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC.

Mr Ó Lideadha said that at one point in the interview, the accused, through a Romanian interpreter, said he did not see anything in the hand of Larisa’s brother, David, who the accused said was present in the house on the night, nor did he see a knife. At this point in the interview, Det Sgt Looby put it to the accused: “No one in this interview room has mentioned a knife, bar you.”

To this, Mr Blanaru had replied: “Did I say knife?” Mr Ó Lideadha put it to Det Sgt Looby that it appeared from this that Mr Blanaru was misunderstanding the gardaí.

“I’m asking you to take into account that he’s been interviewed for a few hours, after being in custody since 6am and hasn’t slept. Would you accept that it’s a reasonable possibility that he was misunderstanding you?” asked Mr Ó Lideadha.

Det Sgt Looby said he did not accept this, nor did he accept that Mr Blanaru was just “giving in, yielding to” the gardaí.

Mr Ó Lideadha said that at one point, the accused said, “stop confusing me”, which was an indication of confusion on his part.

Det Sgt Looby replied: “No, not on his part. He knew in his head.”

In the interview, Mr Blanaru told gardaí that he and Larisa were at the door, with Larisa’s brother David on his right hand side, while a “tall guy” who he said was in the house was sitting down. The accused said that when this other man came over to them, he grabbed Mr Blanaru and said, “Let’s go out “or “Get out”. Mr Blanaru said that he then heard Larisa say, “Ow”.

“When I turned back, Larisa went, ‘Ow’. I didn’t see any blood,” the accused told gardaí.

He went on to say: “You can blame me for everything, but I don’t know. I was drunk, I can’t remember everything.”

Ó Lideadha said that Mr Blanaru had said in Romanian: “Mother, I’m so tired, I can’t understand anything anymore.” Defence counsel asked Det Sgt Looby if this would have given the gardaí any grounds for concern.

“I would have asked what he did not understand,” replied Det Sgt Looby, going on to say that this sentence had not been translated to the gardaí at the time.

Ó Lideadha said that the accused had told gardaí that Larisa “came to me with the knife, I didn’t see her”. Counsel put it to the detective that this raised a question as to whether the accused had seen a knife.

“Was there any concern that he was not describing what he saw but was maybe describing what he thought was happening?” asked Mr Ó Lideadha.

Det Sgt Looby said that this had been “a new narrative, a new account” given by the accused during the interview.

Ó Lideadha said that Mr Blanaru had said in Romanian: “I’m tired. When you’re tired you don’t know anything anymore.” He asked the detective if he would have been concerned about this had it been translated for him at the time.

Det Sgt Looby replied that he would have asked the accused if what he was saying was the truth or not. He went on to say that he did not accept Mr Ó Lideadha’s assertion that Mr Blanaru’s remarks about being tired raised any concerns that this interview process was “tainted”.

Mr Ó Lideadha said that in the prosecution transcript of what Mr Blanaru had said, it was translated that he told gardaí that Larisa maybe wanted “to use the knife to stab” him. However, in a translation of the transcript acquired by the defence, what was said was: “Maybe she wanted to do something, put something in me”.

As the accused had not used the word “knife”, Mr Ó Lideadha said that this portion of the transcript was “guesswork” or “speculation”, as the interviewing gardaí had then asked the accused where the knife was. Det Sgt Looby said he did not accept that.

“He changed his account three times,” said Det Sgt Looby, adding that it had not been the gardaí who had introduced a “knife” into the account. The detective went on to say that he did not accept the defence’s claim that Mr Blanaru’s later reply that he had seen the knife was him “giving in” to the gardaí.

The trial continues on Tuesday before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon and an enlarged jury of 11 men and four women.