Category: Mental Health

130 – Drugs, Death and Butchery: The Deaths of Vincent Costello, Morgan Costello and Damien Monahan

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Drug-related, Insanity Defence, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime

In the early hours of 29th April, 2000, a fire was discovered in an upmarket flat in the seaside resort of Scheveningen, The Hague. Three occupants were found dead in the bathtub – young Irishmen Damien Monahan and Vincent and Morgan Costello.

Was the fire an accident, some sort of gangland hit, or something else altogether?

This episode was researched and written by Aileen Spearin.

Continue reading “130 – Drugs, Death and Butchery: The Deaths of Vincent Costello, Morgan Costello and Damien Monahan” →

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”.

Continue reading “114- Damaged Individuals: The murder of Patrick Sammon” →

106 – Unintended: The murder of Ann Walsh

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, love triangle, Mental Health, murder

In August of 2005, 23 year old Ann Walsh was found dead in the grounds of the parish church in Kilrush, Co Clare. Gardai made an arrest shortly after the discovery – Raymond Donovan, Ann’s former boyfriend.

Donovan admitted to gardai that he had killed Ann, but denied her murder. Would the jury agree?

Continue reading “106 – Unintended: The murder of Ann Walsh” →

105 – Vendetta: The murder of Tracy Butler

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn affair, Controversial Case, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, love triangle, Mental Health, murder, Organised Crime, Women Who Kill

In July of 1993, 17 year old Tracy Butler was set upon and stabbed to death while walking home in what appeared to be a random act of violence. But as gardai began investigating the case, they began unravelling a complicated web of relationships – ones which had turned sour.

Continue reading “105 – Vendetta: The murder of Tracy Butler” →

103 – A killing at Christmas: The murder of Maire Rankin

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, sex crimes, Women Who Kill

On Christmas morning, 2008, 81 year old widow Maire Rankin was not answering the phone. Family members called around to her Newry home to check on her – not only had she been recently ill but it was totally out of character for her to not respond. 

When they arrived at the house on the Dublin Road, Maire was found dead on her bedroom floor. The house was a mess, and it appeared that Mrs Rankin had been subjected to a violent assault of a sexual nature.
No one expected it when Maire’s 42 year old neighbour was arrested. Not only was Karen Walsh a woman, she was a wealthy pharmacist who stayed in her second home in Newry on the weekends.

What on earth had happened, and was the mother of one really responsible for the death of the elderly woman? 

Continue reading “103 – A killing at Christmas: The murder of Maire Rankin” →

102 – The Murder of Colleen Mulder

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Povocation

 In 2004, 41 year old mother of 6, Colleen Mulder was found dead in her bed. Quickly, her husband Anton was arrested. Was Anton being abused? Or was he suffering from a mental disorder?

It would take 4 years of court proceedings to decide.


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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/

Sources:


DPP v Mulder [2007] IECCA 63

DPP v Mulder [2009] IECCA 45

“Man charged after wife’s death” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-charged-after-wifes-death-26227785.html (19 December 2004)

Marie O’Halloran, “Husband accused of assault after wife’s death” in The Irish Times (20 December 2004) p. 4.

“Husband charged over wife’s death” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/husband-charged-over-wifes-death-25889477.html (20 December 2004)

“News in Brief: Husband charged with murder” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news-in-brief-25997820.html (2 February 2005)

“Man remanded in custody over wife’s murder” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-remanded-in-custody-over-wife-s-murder-1.1173715 (2 February 2005)

“News in Brief” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news-in-brief-25998012.html (3 February 2005)

“Man sent to cells for outburst” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-sent-to-cells-for-outburst-26382683.html (2 May 2006)

“Victim’s brother sent to cells after outburst in murder trial” in The Irish Times (3 May 2006) p. 4.

“Man pleads guilty to manslaughter of wife” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-of-wife-1.781260 (2 May 2006)

Aodhan O’Faolain, “Man accused of killing wife ‘had troubled marriage’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/man-accused-of-killing-wife-had-troubled-marriage-26382853.html (4 May 2006)

“Murder trial told of man’s marital troubles” in The Irish Times (4 May 2006) p. 4.

“Strangled wife was having affair murder trial told” in The Irish Timeshttps://www.irishtimes.com/news/strangled-wife-was-having-affair-murder-trial-told-1.781585 (4 May 2006)

Aodhan O’Faolain, “Wife had sex twice with me, says witness” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wife-had-sex-twice-with-me-says-witness-26383043.html (5 May 2006)

“Trial hears accused intended to kill wife” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/trial-hears-accused-intended-to-kill-wife-1.781740 (5 May 2006)

“Accused spoke of taking cash to South Africa, court hears” in The Irish Times (5 May 2006) p. 4.

Aodhan O’Faolain, “Husband said he would kill his wife, murder trial told” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/husband-said-he-would-kill-his-wife-murder-trial-told-26383264.html (6 May 2006)

“Judge Bars two from court in Mulder trial” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/judge-bars-two-from-court-in-mulder-trial-1.999362(6 May 2006)

Aodhan O’Faolain, “Murder accused’s children ‘never saw him hit mother’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murder-accuseds-children-never-saw-him-hit-mother-26383629.html (9 May 2006)

“Verdict pending in murder trial” in The Irish Times(10 May 2006) p. 9.

Anne-Marie Walsh and Sarah Stack “Family sheds tears of relief as husband is jailed for killing wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/family-sheds-tears-of-relief-as-husband-is-jailed-for-killing-wife-26383997.html (11 May 2006)

‘Husband given life sentence for wife’s murder” in The Irish Times (11 May 2006) p. 4

“Mulder family satisfied justice has been done so they can try to move on” in The Irish Times (11 May 2006) p. 4

“Court orders retrial for man accused of murdering wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/court-orders-retrial-for-man-accused-of-murdering-wife-26292620.html (23 May 2007)

“South African to face retrial over killing of his wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/south-african-to-face-retrial-over-killing-of-his-wife-26292734.html (24 May 2007)

“South African man on trial accused of murdering wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/south-african-man-on-trial-accused-of-murdering-wife-26344708.html (14 January 2008)

“Murder accused admitted row with wife” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-accused-admitted-row-with-wife-1.928630 (15 January 2008)

“Wife ‘made threats’ – murder accused” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wife-made-threats-murder-accused-1.817264 (15 January 2008)

“Accused said wife threatened to have him shot” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/accused-said-wife-threatened-to-have-him-shot-1.928965 (16 January 2008)

Abigail Rieley, “Murder accused ‘spoke of how easy it would be to kill his wife’” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murder-accused-spoke-of-how-easy-it-would-be-to-kill-his-wife-26345276.html (17 January 2008)

“Son says mother was scared of murder accused” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/son-says-mother-was-scared-of-murder-accused-26345334.html (17 January 2008)

“Daughter of murdered woman says she feared her father” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/daughter-of-murdered-woman-says-she-feared-her-father-1.929314 (17 January 2008)

Abigail Rieley, “Mum was afraid of my dad and never hit him, son tells court” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/mum-was-afraid-of-my-dad-and-never-hit-him-son-tells-court-26345443.html (18 January 2008)

“Son of murdered woman tells court she was scared of husband” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/son-of-murdered-woman-tells-court-she-was-scared-of-husband-1.929678 (18 January 2008)

“In Short: Legal argument in murder trial” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/inshort-1.930057 (19 January 2008)

“Jury considering verdict in murder trial of South African man” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/jury-considering-verdict-in-murder-trial-of-south-african-man-26346822.html (23 January 2008)

“Murder trial psychiatrists fail to agree” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-trial-psychiatrists-fail-to-agree-1.931093 (23 January 2008)

“Jury to resume deliberations in Co Meath murder trial” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/jury-to-resume-deliberations-in-co-meath-murder-trial-26346958.html (24 January 2008)

“South African man convicted of murdering wife” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/south-african-man-convicted-of-murdering-wife-26346988.html (24 January 2008)

“In short: murder trial jury spends night in hotel” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/in-short-1.931434 (24 January 2008)

Abigail Rieley, “Justice at last for family as wife-killer gets life” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/justice-at-last-for-family-as-wife-killer-gets-life-26347069.html (25 January 2008)

Louise Hogan and Abigail Rieley, “Two trials but there was only one verdict – guilty” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/two-trials-but-there-was-only-one-verdict-guilty-26347070.html (25 January 2008)

“Mulder sentenced to life for murder of his wife” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/mulder-sentenced-to-life-for-murder-of-his-wife-1.931727 (25 January 2008)

“Decision reserved in murder appeal” in The Irish Times (1 April 2009) p. 4

“Murder conviction appeal rejected” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-conviction-appeal-rejected-1.839626 (27 April 2009)

Conor Feehan, “’I have to live with this every day’ – man who murdered his wife as he’s released from prison” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/crime/i-have-to-live-with-this-every-day-man-who-murdered-his-wife-as-hes-released-from-prison-39259477.html (4 June 2020)

Ken Foy, “Free wife killer takes stroll in city sunshine” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/news/freed-wife-killer-takes-stroll-in-city-sunshine-39255645.html (3 May 2020)

Paul Healy, “Evil wife killer Anton Mulder moans that he’d rather be back in prison as he’s confronted in new bolthole” in The Irish Mirror https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/evil-wife-killer-anton-mulder-24159118 (24 May 2021)

101 – A Few Days in May

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Povocation

In early May, 1996 – three women were killed violently in their own homes in separate incidents across Ireland. It all occurred in the space of three days.


In fact, 1996 would go on to be the year with the most violent deaths of women in recent history.

Continue reading “101 – A Few Days in May” →

100 – Provocation & the Gay Panic defence

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Human Rights, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, Povocation, sex crimes, US Crime

There has been a lot of progress in relation to equal rights and protections for members of the LGBTQ+ in Ireland. However, despite decriminalisation in 1993, and the passage of Marriage Equality in 2015, there is still much to do. In addition to requiring effective hate speech legislation, the defence of provocation does allow a person accused of murder to claim that a romantic or sexual advance by an LGBTQ+ person resulted in a loss of control leading to the killing of that person.

In this episode, we explore cases where this partial defence was employed at trial and appeal: the killing of John Roche in 1982, the murder of Gerard Hackett in 2002, and the kidnap and murder of Matthew Shepard in Wyoming in 1998.


Reasearch & Writing by Eileen MacFarlene of the Crimelapse Podcast

Continue reading “100 – Provocation & the Gay Panic defence” →

98 – A Question of Disorder: The murders of Anne & Annie Gillespie

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Insanity Defence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Landmark Case, Mental Health, murder, Public Inquiry

In 1988, Anne Gillespie was 18 years old. She was looking forward to embarking on adult life. There was just one problem – her boyfriend of over three years had begun to behave horribly. She decided to end things. Her boyfriend, 22 year old John Gallagher, decided that if Anne would no longer speak to him, he’d kill her.

John also shot Anne’s mother, Annie.

No one could have predicted it, nor could they have known about the 24 years the two families would spend in and out of court.

Continue reading “98 – A Question of Disorder: The murders of Anne & Annie Gillespie” →

92 – No Excuse: The murder of Mary Doogue

On By mensreapod@gmail.comIn Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Violence, Irish Crime, Life Sentence, Mental Health, murder, Povocation

In October of 1995, Mary Doogue was beaten to death. She lay in her bed in her cold dark home for 12 hours before she got any medical attention, and died shortly after. Her partner 19 year old Stephen Davis was arrested two days later.

He would tell the court that he had been provoked. Would a jury buy his excuse?

Continue reading “92 – No Excuse: The murder of Mary Doogue” →