The man accused of murdering 28-year-old Brazilian woman Bruna Fonseca on New Year’s Day 2023 in Cork reportedly told a friend in Brazil, “I killed Bruna,” in a phone call made in the early hours of January 1st. He also allegedly sent a video showing Bruna’s body, as testified in court on Tuesday.
A witness who arrived at the scene after 6am on January 1, 2023, stated that the accused, Miller Pacheco, initially denied involvement, saying “it wasn’t me,” before admitting, “I choked her.” The witness also described Pacheco as smiling at the time.
Marcella Fonseca,a cousin and best friend of the deceased,gave evidence today in the trial of 32-year-old Miller Pacheco,who has pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering Bruna Fonseca at Room 3,5 Liberty Street,Cork,on January 1,2023.
Marcella Fonseca was cross-examined by defense senior counsel Ray Boland regarding her testimony that pacheco said, “I choked her.”
Mr. Boland argued that the accused spoke in Portuguese to the witness, using the word “suffocated” rather than “choked,” and that his statement was: “I think I suffocated Bruna.”
the witness replied, “It is a similar word.” Mr. Boland stated that his instructions were that the accused was not smiling but was in shock.
Marcella stated she moved to Ireland in 2018, returned home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and then returned to Ireland. She knew Miller from Brazil and described Bruna as her best friend and frist cousin.
She testified that Miller arrived in Cork and moved in with Bruna,having previously been in a relationship with her in Brazil,but that the relationship ended after a week – a timeframe she later clarified as three days.
She recalled visiting Miller’s residence on Liberty Street during the day on New Year’s eve and finding Bruna there. She observed that both the defendant and the deceased had red eyes and had been crying.
Marcella said Bruna gave her a knife,and she noticed Bruna’s finger was bleeding from a small cut.
The witness agreed that Bruna ended the relationship with Miller, but that he did not want it to end.
