A court has been informed that a young woman from Brazil, Bruna Fonseca, who had relocated to Ireland in pursuit of a better life, was allegedly strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend during a visit to his apartment. The body of Bruna was discovered at an apartment in Cork city center on January 1, 2023. Her former partner, Miller Pacheco, 31, has denied the murder charge. Prosecution counsel Bernard Condon mentioned that Bruna, a 28-year-old university graduate, had moved to Ireland in 2022 seeking opportunities.
According to the court proceedings, Bruna and Pacheco, who both hailed from the same small town in Brazil, had been in a relationship in 2022 but had since separated. Despite their breakup, Bruna had seemingly moved forward with her life. She had arrived in Ireland with her niece Maria in September 2022 and had secured a job as a cleaner at Mercy University Hospital in the city. Pacheco had also moved to Ireland in November 2022 and was working at a restaurant on McCurtain Street, as reported by Cork Beo.
The court was informed that although Bruna was in a new relationship, she still maintained contact with Pacheco. The prosecution highlighted that Pacheco had sent numerous text messages to Bruna, with her expressing a desire for him to leave her alone by December 20, 2022. On Christmas Eve, the former couple attended a party together, where Pacheco reportedly kept a close eye on Bruna. Later, on New Year’s Eve, Bruna visited Pacheco’s flat around 3 am to make a call home to check on their dog.
Approximately ninety minutes later, residents nearby heard loud screams coming from Pacheco’s apartment. Witnesses described the screams as intense and nonsensical. The police were alerted to the situation after Pacheco made a phone call to a friend at 5:15 am on January 1, 2023, indicating a point of no return. When asked about Bruna, Pacheco showed his friend a woman’s body on the bed next to him. Despite this, when questioned by two of Bruna’s friends outside the apartment, Pacheco denied being involved in her death.
Upon a subsequent police visit, Bruna was found dead in the apartment. Pacheco claimed that he had experienced an anxiety attack and that Bruna had hit him, leading to a struggle where he inadvertently caused her death. He mentioned using a move he had seen on television, which involved placing his arm around her neck. Pacheco maintained that he had not intended harm and portrayed the incident as a fight to end their conflict. The autopsy conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster revealed that Bruna had died from asphyxiation.
Pacheco, a former engineer in Brazil, is receiving court assistance through a Portuguese interpreter, while members of Bruna’s family have traveled to Ireland for the trial.