No one but he was supposed to enter the garret. One day, Marie Corigliano, an old friend, suddenly appeared when he was giving the rabbits their bottle. She picked one of them up. Thereupon, according to the prosecution, Collini struck her over the head with a piece of wood and cut her up into eight pieces with a hatchet.

The next day he is alleged to have buried the pieces in cement and hid the victim's head in a saucepan. At his first trial his wife described how he was often "strange" and needed constant attention. Sometimes, she said, he would sit for hours on the drawing room carpet rocking himself backwards and forwards, and one Sunday while it was raining he was found like this holding an umbrella. Three doctors appointed to examine him reported that he was quite sane.

The Irish Times 9 April, 1859 Police Intelligence . . . College Street Office. A young gentleman, described on the charge-sheet as John Chambers, of 7, Upper Sackville Street, was charged by Mr Harris, lessee of the Theatre Royal, with conducting himself in a riotous and disorderly manner in the top gallery of the Theatre Royal on Wednesday last. He stated that during the present engagement of the Italian Opera company great annoyance and disturbance had been systematically pursued by a large number of young men who take up a position in the upper gallery.

On Wednesday evening this disturbance was carried on to an alarming extent, and Mr John Chambers was evidently one of the ringleaders.

He had a horn in his possession, which he kept constantly blowing, and was responded to by another gentleman at the opposite side of the gallery, who had a similar instrument. It was with great regret that he (Mr Harris) came forward to complain of a member of the audience whose position in society should make the circumstances in which his conduct had placed him exceedingly unpleasant; but in justice to the public he felt it incumbent upon him to prevent by every means in his power such annoyances which were marring the amusement for which the public had paid. He made every allowance for the legitimate hilarity which always characterized the upper gallery audience, but the annoyance which they might believe was but legitimate pleasantries, were not regarded as such by other members of the audience.

Several missiles were thrown from the upper gallery, some of which were of an exceedingly dangerous character, and he had daily been applied to by the citizens to endeavour to have an end put to such proceedings.

He did not wish to press for punishment in the present case, but merely to have an end put to such disturbances. The presiding magistrate (Mr McDermott). . .

felt it incumbent on him to take stringent measures for the suppression of such practices, and in the present case he would impose a fine of �2 on the accused or seven days' imprisonmentf