The mother of murdered tot Santina Cawley has gone to gardai over a shocking letter that purports to be from her daughter’s killer.
Bridget O’Donoghue, whose two-year-old daughter was brutally murdered in Cork by evil Karen Harrington in 2019, revealed that she’s received a “frightening” letter claiming to be from Harrington.
The chilling hand-written note, seen by this paper and which is signed off as being from “Karen”, says she “will not ever accept blame for something I did not do”.
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It also claims she prays to the slain child “morn, noon and night”.
The letter repeats convicted murderer Harrington’s long-standing claims that she is innocent and invites Bridget to visit her in Limerick Prison, where the 38-year-old is serving a life sentence. It also bizarrely states “I know how you feel”, and signs off with “puddles of cuddles” for the slain child’s mother.
Bridget, who is living with her mother in Cork, told how she went to gardai and the Irish Prison Service over the letter, which she says she was shocked to receive.
She said: “How could she get in contact with me? I showed it to the guards and they’re looking into it now. It’s frightening to get a letter like that and I’m sickened and shocked by it. I’m trying to move on now with my life and this is after bringing it all back for me again.”
Gardai confirmed that the matter has been reported to them.
In the letter the writer calls themselves “Karen” and claims she went “blank” over what exactly happened on the night of July 5, 2019, but goes on to insist that she is innocent.
The letter said: “I am asking you from my heart, from a mother to a mother, can you relate to this happening.”
It goes on to refer to the child’s father Michael Cawley returning to her apartment in the early hours of the morning and waking her up – something which her criminal trial heard occurred.
The letter writer claims: “I wet myself. I got sick. No one ever had this effect on me in my life,”
“You ever get such a fright you blank to what exactly happened.”
As the trial heard earlier this year, that Michael, who was out in Cork city that night, returned to find Santina in a critical state – and woke Harrington to ask her what exactly happened.
The letter goes on to claim that gardai investigating Santina’s murder did not get their facts right, saying: “Garda putting two and two and getting 10”. “Karen” then goes on to say she is suffering over Santina in the same way that Bridget is.
She added: “The constant heartache is unbearable and what Santina suffered is unimaginable girl.
“I pray to Santina morn, noon and night. I often light a candle, there are times I pray for you, your mom and children. I have many strongly praying for us. You and I need to chat in detail, be prepared.
“I know how you feel, I feel the same. I will not ever accept blame for something I did not do. I have undergone many assessments. I am of sound mind. If you wish to visit me, please do.
“Puddles of cuddles. Karen.”
Speaking about her shock at the contents of the letter, Bridget says she cannot fathom how her child’s killer could be praying for her.
She said: “It’s sickening. The things that are said in that letter are just hurting me. She’s saying that she’s lighting candles for my daughter. It’s disgusting. And asking me can I come down and visit her. I won’t be going anywhere near her.”
Bridget says receiving such a letter has brought back a lot of the grief for her little girl. The heartbroken mother says she still remembers Santina’s little body being placed in her arms in the hospital.
She added: “I seen my daughter and the state she was in when she was put in my hands. I thought I was sending her off for a nice quiet and peaceful night with her father in that apartment.
“To go to the court case and to hear of the violence she suffered was awful.”
And Bridget told how she has little sympathy for Harrington. She said: “I’m the one doing the life sentence here, not her.
“I don’t have my daughter. She’s saying prison is like hell. How is it hell? I don’t know what the purpose of this letter is. I don’t know if she is trying to play games.”
Harrington, who remains on protection in Limerick Prison, is not allowed to make any contact with Bridget, and a letter from her would have been blocked. However, sources say prison bosses cannot prevent someone on the outside from writing a letter on a prisoner’s behalf.
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