A court has been informed that a young woman from Brazil, who had moved to Ireland seeking a “better life,” was reportedly strangled to death by her ex-boyfriend when she visited his apartment. The victim, Bruna Fonseca, was discovered at an apartment in Cork city center on January 1, 2023. Her ex-partner, Miller Pacheco, aged 31, has denied the charge of murder. According to Prosecution senior counsel Bernard Condon, Bruna, a 28-year-old university graduate, had relocated to Ireland in 2022 for improved prospects.
The court was informed that Bruna and Pacheco, who hailed from the same small town in Brazil, had previously been in a relationship but had since separated, with Bruna seemingly moving forward in her life. Bruna arrived in Ireland with her niece Maria in September 2022 and secured a job as a cleaner at Mercy University Hospital in the city. Pacheco also made the move to Ireland in November 2022 and found employment at a restaurant on McCurtain Street, as reported by Cork Beo.
Despite being in a new relationship, Bruna and Pacheco maintained some level of communication. The court heard that Pacheco persistently messaged Bruna, with her expressing a desire for him to cease contact by December 20, 2022. Events escalated when the former couple attended a Christmas Eve gathering at Bruna’s cousin’s residence in Cork, where Pacheco reportedly kept a close eye on her. Later, on New Year’s Eve, both Bruna and Pacheco were present at the same event in the city. In the early hours of January 1, Bruna went to Pacheco’s apartment to make a video call to check on their dog.
Approximately ninety minutes later, nearby residents heard loud screams, described as unintelligible. The screams were heard by individuals in a restaurant and a priest at a nearby Franciscan friary. Details emerged during the trial of numerous text and phone communications, including a call at 5:15 am on January 1, where Pacheco expressed remorse, stating, “Forgive me, there is no way back now.”
Upon being asked about Bruna’s whereabouts during the call, Pacheco revealed her lifeless body beside him on the bed. Gardai were alerted and arrived at the apartment shortly after 6 am, although no response was received at the door. Subsequently, two friends of the victim, who had heard the earlier commotion, encountered Pacheco at the apartment entrance. Pacheco was holding a bedsheet, which he later disposed of in a nearby bin. When questioned about Bruna’s death, Pacheco denied any involvement.
Further investigation led to Bruna being pronounced dead in the apartment. Pacheco claimed he had experienced an anxiety attack and alleged that Bruna had assaulted him, leading to a struggle where he inadvertently caused her death. He mentioned mimicking a move seen on television, which involved placing his arm around her neck. Pacheco asserted that his intentions were not to harm Bruna but to end the altercation peacefully. A post-mortem examination by Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster determined asphyxiation as the cause of Bruna’s death.
Pacheco, a former engineer in Brazil who relocated to Ireland, is receiving assistance from a Portuguese interpreter during the court proceedings. Family members of the deceased have traveled to Ireland for the trial.