Mary Gough tragically fell down the stairs in her home, only 6 months after her wedding day. Or, at least that’s what her husband, Colin Whelan, said. When Mary was rushed to the hospital after this purported accident, the Gardai did not take him at his word.
His story did not add up, and Colin Whelan was charged with with Mary’s murder. But when Whelan’s car was discovered at the top of Howth Head near the seaside cliffs, people thought that there would be no justice for Mary.
But they were wrong.
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Theme Music:
Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
“BossaBossa” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
Sources:
Siobhan Gaffney, Till Death Do Us Part (Dublin: Maverick House, 2015) Purchase here
Donnacha Mac Raghnaill, “Nurse noticed scratch marks on Whelans chest after the killing” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/nurse-noticed-scratch-marks-on-whelans-chest-after-the-killing-27768911.html (22 April 2005)
“Special Memories of a Special lady” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/fingalindependent/news/special-memories-of-a-special-lady–27768910.html (22 April 2005)
Meave Sheehan, “Callous killer surfed the net in bid to plan perfect crime” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/callous-killer-surfed-the-net-in-bid-to-plan-perfect-crime-26207130.html (17 April 2005)
“Fatal errors of a calculating killer” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/unsorted/features/fatal-errors-of-a-calculating-killer-25990297.html (16 April 2005)
“The Colin Whelan murder trial” in Magill https://magill.ie/archive/colin-whelan-murder-trial (14 April 2005)
Meave Sheehan, “Convicted wife-murderer Whelan had killed before” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/convicted-wifemurderer-whelan-had-killed-before-26207322.html (17 April 2005)
“Colin Whelan relative ordered to pay for breach of bail” in The Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/colin-whelan-relative-ordered-to-pay-for-breach-of-bail-159421.html (30 July 2004)
“Whelan given life sentence for wife’s murder” from RTE.ie https://www.rte.ie/news/2005/0412/61863-whelanm/ (12 April 2005)
“Computer analyst gets life imprisonment for wife’s murder” in The Irish Examiner https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/computer-analyst-gets-life-imprisonment-for-wifes-murder-197741.html (12 April 2005)
“Colin Whelan relative ordered to pay for breach of bail” from BreakingNews.ie https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/colin-whelan-relative-ordered-to-pay-for-breach-of-bail-159421.html (30 July 2004)
Humphrey Carter, “ Tourist leads police to Irishman on the run” from Majorca Daily Bulletin https://www.majorcadailybulletin.com/news/local/2004/07/13/9771/tourist-leads-police-irishman-the-run.html (13 July 2004)
Gerard Couzens and Tom Brady, “wife murder suspect held by Spanish Police” in The Belfast Telegraph https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/wife-murder-suspect-held-by-spanish-police-28055949.html (13 July 2004)
Nicola Anderson, “ Computer expert hid internet research on strangling” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/computer-expert-hid-internet-research-on-strangling-25989790.html (13 April 2005)
Siobhan Gaffney, “Life for ‘callous’ murder of wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/life-for-callous-murder-of-wife-25989788.html (13 April 2005)
Paul Melia and Cormac Looney, “Fake death fugitive changes plea to admit murdering wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/fake-death-fugitive-changes-plea-to-admit-murdering-wife-25989583.html (12 April 2005)
Siobhan Gaffney, “Date set for hearing on wife murder” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/date-set-for-hearing-on-wife-murder-25888878.html (30 November 2004)
“Whelan faces trial on murder charge” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/whelan-faces-trial-on-murder-charge-27107443.html (30 July 2004)
“Gardai try to identify washed – up Skerries body” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gardai-try-to-identify-washed-up-skerries-body-1.983030 ( 24 June 2004)
Jimmy Cunningham, “Body may not be murder accused” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/droghedaindependent/news/body-may-not-be-murder-accused-27107131.html (25 June 2004)