A young woman from Brazil who had relocated to Ireland in pursuit of a “better life” was reportedly strangled to death by her former boyfriend during a visit to his apartment, as revealed in court proceedings.
The body of Bruna Fonseca was discovered at an apartment in the center of Cork on January 1, 2023. Her ex-partner, Miller Pacheco, aged 31, has denied the accusation of murdering her. According to prosecution counsel Bernard Condon, Bruna, a 28-year-old university graduate, had emigrated to Ireland in 2022 with hopes of a brighter future.
The court was informed that Bruna and Pacheco, who originally hailed from the same small Brazilian town, had been in a relationship in 2022 but subsequently separated, with Bruna seemingly moving forward with her life.
Having arrived in Ireland in September 2022 accompanied by her niece Maria, Bruna secured employment as a cleaner at Mercy University Hospital in the city. Pacheco also made the move to Ireland in November 2022 and found work at a restaurant on McCurtain Street, as reported by Cork Beo.
Although Bruna had entered a new relationship by then, interactions with her former partner continued. Condon mentioned that Pacheco persistently messaged Bruna, with her expressing a desire for him to cease contact by December 20, 2022.
During a Christmas Eve gathering at Bruna’s cousin’s residence in Cork, Pacheco reportedly kept a close eye on her. Both individuals later attended the same New Year’s event in the city, following which Bruna visited her ex’s flat around 3am to video call home and check on their pet dog.
Approximately ninety minutes later, nearby residents heard loud screams without any discernible words. Witnesses reported the distressing sounds to have emanated from a woman. Authorities were alerted to the situation, and upon arriving at the flat, discovered Bruna deceased.
Pacheco, who claimed to have experienced an anxiety attack, alleged that Bruna had struck him, leading to a physical altercation where he unintentionally caused her death through a maneuver he had seen on TV involving restricting her airflow.
A post-mortem examination conducted by Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster confirmed Bruna’s cause of death as asphyxiation. Pacheco, a former engineer in Brazil, is receiving court assistance from a Portuguese interpreter, while members of Bruna’s family have traveled to Ireland for the trial.