A jury has heard a man accused of murdering a pensioner in Kilkenny told gardaí he thought it was going to be an “easy touch”.

Trevor Rowe, of Abbey Street, Kilkenny, is on trial for the murder of 71-year-old Anne Butler, whose body was found in her home five days after she was killed.

Mr Rowe brought gardaí to Anne Butler’s home on Maudlin Street in Kilkenny city on March 25th, 2020.

The court heard he claimed to have slit her throat and stabbed her in the head.

Blood stains could be seen on the walls of her hallway when gardai entered and one detective said some of the rooms looked like they had been ransacked.

The heating was on and there was a strong smell coming from inside. Ms Butler’s body was found on a couch in her living room.

Detective Sergeant James O’Brien described Mr Rowe as being very visibly upset in the back of the patrol car enroute to Kilkenny Garda Station.

He said he became aggressive too and told the jurors he said he just wanted her to be found. He said he kept asking himself, “what have I done? What have I done?”

The court heard he also said: “I thought it was going to be an easy touch,” and: “It went wrong.”