Gran sobs in court at daughter's cry for help

Eimear Cotter

THE airing of Leona Murphy's desperate call to the emergency services was too much for little Ross's grandmother Catherine Murphy, who broke down in tears in the courtroom.

On the recording are the the few short words of Ms Murphy, clearly panicking, telling the ambulance services her son was lifeless and she needed help.

Catherine Murphy curled herself up, hid her face behind her hair and sobbed quietly into her hands.

Struggled

Mrs Murphy was comforted by her daughter Adele who, red-eyed, also struggled to hold back the tears.

She rubbed her mother's back in an effort to provide her with some small bit of comfort.

Leona Murphy, the child's mother, was not in court. She is heavily pregnant with her third child.

Last Friday she looked particularly uncomfortable as she sat, twisting from side to side, on the hard benches in Court 10 of the Criminal Courts of Justice.

hnews@herald.ie