Category: Intimate Partner Violence

Bonus: Dolores McCrea

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Intimate Partner Violence, murder

This Bonus episode was first published as a “Guilt Trip” episode on Patreon on 7th April 2019.

Dolores McCrea married the man that she had met and fallen for while in Secondary School in Donegal. But her husband, Gary, was a controlling man and became abusive. 

Soon the violence became too much for Dolores and she left Gary, bringing along their four daughters. But often the time after a person leaves their abuser is the most dangerous. And this was the case for Dolores. 

Gary McCrea had plans for Dolores once she left him which would lead him to standing in the dock in the Four Courts just over a year later. 

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132 – Nagged to Kill: The death of Gary Cotter

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Women Who Kill

28 year old mother of one Norma Crotty appeared on her neighbours doorstep early on the morning of January 3rd, 1995. She was in a distressed state, and was holding a shotgun. It was smoking.

Norma told her neighbour that she had just shot her husband.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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126 – Sex, Lies and Videotape: the murder of Gerry McGinley

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Black Widow, Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, murder for profit, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In August of 2000, Gerry McGinley disappeared from his home near Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh. His wife Julie said he had packed up a plastic bag and had taken off.

The police investigation came up with numerous leads. Had Gerry fallen foul of the Real IRA? Or maybe he’d crossed drug dealers? Was his former lover – or indeed her husband – enraged enough to make him run, or worse? It also seemed likely Gerry had been blackmailing local men with videos they’d rather not exist…

Or perhaps the answer was much closer to home, and to be found in the newly re-decorated master bedroom of the McGinley’s bungalow…

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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123 – Death in the Sun: Celine Conroy

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, murder

In the summer of 2005, Celine Conroy decided to pack up her three kids to spend the summer in Spain alongside her partner Paul Hickey. But rather than a relaxing escape from her life back in Dublin, the holiday ended in horror.

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

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120 – Dear Diary: The murder of Alison Shaughnessy

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Cold Case, Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, murder, UK Crime, unsolved, Vintage murder, Women Who Kill, Wrongly Accused

In June of 1991, 21 year old newly-wed Alison Shaughnessy was found lying in a pool of blood at the entrance to her flat in London by her husband John. After a stalled police investigation, two women were arrested and tried for Alison’s murder.

But is it possible that what was presented to the court as motive for her murder, gleaned from a 21 year old woman’s diary, had pointed police in the wrong direction?

Who killed Alison Shaughnessy?

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115- Flawed Relationships: The killing of Julia O’Brien

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Kids who Kill, murder

Before the sun had even risen on the morning of Christmas Eve, 1995 Julia O’Brien was discovered dead on the floor in her home in Drimoleague, Co Cork.

Julia was well known locally, as was her problem with alcohol but no one would have thought that the 46 year married mother of five would die after a severe beating and strangulation.

What had happened?

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114- Damaged Individuals: The murder of Patrick Sammon

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Mental Health, murder, Povocation, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

In June 1997, Patrick Sammon was murdered in his home in Galway in the course of an argument.

What had led to the fight that night would be a story of two very damaged individuals and circumstances one lawyer said were “stranger than fiction”.

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111 – Unsolved: The killing of Belinda Pereira

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Bonus Episode, Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, murder, sex crimes, unsolved

On the 29th of December, 1996, Gardai were called to a flat on Liffey St in Dublin city centre. Inside was the body of 26 year old British-Sri Lankan woman, Belinda Pereira, who was staying in Dublin for just a week. The nature of her trip prompted many inches of tabloid fodder. She had come to Dublin in order to carry out sex work. 

But the voyeuristic media attention on Belinda’s case did not last long. 

Sadly, today, her name is all but forgotten. 

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110 – Too little, Too late: The murder of Amanda Jenkins

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Drug-related, Intimate Partner Violence, IRA/Paramilitary links, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Povocation

Amanda Jenkins was the sort of person who looked for the good in everyone. She was just 27 years old when she was found dead on her bedroom floor.

It had taken very little for the bad to emerge in someone Amanda had loved and trusted. 

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109 – No Air: The murder of Csaba Orsos

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Controversial Case, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, murder, Povocation, Self Defence, Women Who Kill

On the morning of 26th March, 2013, a car entered the water at Arklow pier. Only one of it’s occupants emerged from the freezing, rough water. Was it a terrible accident? Or a plan to murder?


Additional writing, research and editorial support from Eileen MacFarlene

Continue reading “109 – No Air: The murder of Csaba Orsos” →