The father of Irish student Nicola Furlong has said in an RTE Radio interview that some of the implications made by the legal defense representing her alleged murderer has "maddened him."
Furlong, whose daughter was murdered in a Tokyo hotel room on May 24, has said it has been difficult listening to the team defending Richard Hinds as they try to blacken his daughter's character.
“At times, unreal – I can’t explain it…,” he said. “You’re there and it’s like watching a television programme… at times you think it has nothing to do with you… Then it comes back to you that you’re there because of Nicola."
Richard Hinds, 19, from Memphis Tennessee denies murdering the young woman and has told a friend he believes Nicola was "drunk and tripping" before her death.
Said Nicola's father: “It would make your blood, listening to the stuff coming out… what they were dressed in – that they were going out looking for men, looking for sex."
“It really maddens you… to hear it over and over and over and over again.”
Mr Furlong said Nicola went to Japan to further her education and learn Japanese – and that he had encouraged her to do so.
“I still sorta blame myself for kinda making her go out,” he said.
According to the Irish Independent, CCTV footage taken from the taxi and hotel shows that the Wexford student appears to have fallen unconscious for a period around three hours before she died.
She was later allegedly strangled in the Keio Plaza hotel room of Hinds.
Hinds is due to give evidence on Tuesday and Wednesday. A judgement is expected on the case on March 19 after evidence concludes later this week.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.IrelandNorth | Mar 13, 2013, 03:33 PM EDT
Curitiba! Adverse publicity can prejudice trials, which is often why press blackouts are ordered by judges. I expect that since this trial is on the other side of the world in an non-English speaking idiom, that such risks are minimal. I don't believe anything I've said was/is prejudicial to the trial. I never said either accused were guilty, since I don't know. Just posing legitimate questions fro occupational experience and perception of cultureal backdrop of accuseds, all of whic his reported in Irish press/media.
Curitiba | Mar 12, 2013, 05:41 PM EDT
IrelandNorth: I'm quite surprised that IC allows comments on ongoing trials. I don't know if they allow comments in the NornIron papers, but in the English papers they won't allow any comments on any trial that is going on worldwide. Seems fair enough to me. Once judgement is delivered and the sentences handed down or the defendant acquitted then I think you should be able to comment then.
dermoframe | Mar 12, 2013, 03:19 PM EDT
murdering apes should just be put to death.what a waste of a life.animals, not fit for human society.
IrelandNorth | Mar 12, 2013, 02:51 PM EDT
Curitiba! No one is proposing a lynching, judicial or otherwise. Some of us are merely commenting on trial transcripts published in reputable Irish quality broadsheets and national TV reports. What I'd like to know personally (as an one time security guard in a hotel complex here in Dublin) is, how does the Keio Plaza Hotel duty manager on duty that night explain giving the accused's a hand conveying the girls to the accused's hotel room with another staff memnber? Peculiar form of room service, if you ask me.
Curitiba | Mar 12, 2013, 05:36 AM EDT
He is entitled to defend himself. Why shouldn't he tell his side of the story? If we only allowed the prosecution to have their say, what sort of justice would that be? It's up to the jury or the judge (depending on what sort of system they have in Japan) to decide the outcome, based on all the available evidence and testimonies. Just because he is accused of a terrible crime does not mean he is automatically guilty. That's how so many people ended up burnt at the stake in the middle ages, because people simply didn't like them and accused them of terrible things and condemned them without a proper trial. Do we want to go back to that? Of course not. Let the court hear the case for the prosecution and defence and decide the outcome on that. Leave the pitchforks and flaming torches out of this.
Happyhippo | Mar 11, 2013, 05:54 PM EDT
We have seen this kinda situation too many times where the accused killer or killers try to pin the blame on their victim,im sure the evidence from the autopsy report and the DNA samples will confirm the likely killer of Miss Furlong.
IrelandNorth | Mar 11, 2013, 03:01 PM EDT
Defence counsel transcript reported live on RTE breakfast time TV this morning didn't show accused in good light. Hate to think what prosecution will show up tomorrow. Camcorder text/footage from taxi isn't complimentary. Rap culture isn't renowned for inculcating respect for the opposite sex.
awoken32 | Mar 11, 2013, 02:34 PM EDT
Hinds should be hung for the racially aggrevated murder of his victim
awoken32 | Mar 11, 2013, 01:41 PM EDT
Hinds should be found guilty an hung for is racially aggrevated rape an murder of his victim
Parents | Mar 11, 2013, 01:35 PM EDT
Yes blame the victim again, it was either one of these two and yes maybe drugged in the hotel that has certainly been done before and then just say she was drunk. It should be a crime to slander someone especially after they are no longer here to defend themselves and with no proof other than the word of someone I believe committed murder.
Searlit | Mar 11, 2013, 12:40 PM EDT
It makes me angry, too. The pair of accused sound like they are well practiced at their crime. The defense is doing their blame the victim routine. It should be a crime to slander Nicola in the courtroom. The judge should defend her dignity, since she has been robbed of her life.
Maureen Hawkins | Mar 11, 2013, 12:31 PM EDT
I see, women who drink or take drugs or like sex deserve to die. We're supposed to give Hinds a medal?