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

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”

85 – Monster in the Garage: Patricia Murphy

In May of 1996, a woman’s body was found behind a skip in Glasnevin, Dublin city. Late on the 27th, Patricia Murphy had been reported missing from her nearby home.In order for her family to find justice, however, three of her young children would have to give evidence in court to put the perpetrator away – the monster in the garage.

This episode was researched and written by Eileen MacFarlene of the Crimelapse podcast.

Join me at CrimeCon UK on June 12-13th 2021. For more information and tickets visit crimecon.co.uk. Use the code MENSREA for 10% off. Purchase a ticket with the code and get in touch to get a free Mens Rea T-Shirt (limited to first 10 listeners who contact me)

With thanks to our sponsors for this episode:

Make sure your menzes are perfectly groomed this Valentines day! Check out the global leader in mens grooming and Get 20% Off + Free Shipping at Manscaped.com with the code MENS

Sign up for professional online counselling at betterhelp.com/mens and get 10% off your first month!

Find us on Facebook or Twitter!With thanks to our supporters on Patreon! Donate today to get access to bonus and ad-free episodes!Check out the Mens Rea Merch Store!

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:
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/battered-wife-tried-to-conceal-the-marks-of-her-beatings-1.228260

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dismay-as-mother-of-four-is-murdered-1.53517

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/post-mortem-results-expected-today-on-murdered-mother-1.53444

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/gardai-in-search-for-murdered-woman-s-clothing-1.53824

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/over-100-pay-respects-to-murdered-woman-1.54177

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/search-continues-for-victim-s-clothing-1.54503

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/steady-progress-in-murder-inquiry-1.54943

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-held-on-murphy-death-is-released-1.56185

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/suspects-s-re-arrest-legal-in-murder-hunt-judge-rules-1.82796

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-of-murder-victim-loses-high-court-challenge-on-detention-1.82700

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/it-was-a-year-when-ireland-seemed-a-more-dangerous-place-to-be-a-woman-1.119653

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/inquest-on-murdered-woman-is-adjourned-1.60981

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/husband-charged-with-murdering-mother-of-four-1.63472

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-on-wife-murder-charge-seeks-bail-1.63872

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-gets-bail-in-wife-murder-case-1.64697

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/life-policy-pay-out-to-accused-man-1.65092

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/wife-murder-trial-is-delayed-1.87746

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/further-remand-in-murder-case-1.105459

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/man-pleads-not-guilty-to-wife-murder-1.220470

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/delayed-murder-trial-to-open-1.221299

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/accused-man-s-children-to-tell-of-seeing-mother-s-body-1.221769

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/boy-5-tells-of-daddy-hammering-mammy-1.222333

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/children-tell-how-they-saw-mother-dead-in-garage-1.222264

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/neighbour-heard-high-pitched-screaming-1.223141

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-trial-adjourned-for-discussions-1.223553

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/dead-woman-s-mother-tells-of-phone-calls-1.223955

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murphy-said-gardai-were-not-clever-enough-to-catch-him-out-1.225874

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/child-told-neighbour-mammy-was-asleep-1.226272

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/court-is-told-gardai-twisted-the-answers-of-murder-accused-1.226620

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-accused-repeatedly-denies-having-killed-his-wife-1.227126

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/no-verdict-yet-in-dublin-murder-trial-1.227936

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/murder-trial-jury-takes-4-hours-to-deliver-a-unanimous-verdict-1.228263

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/three-children-witnessed-things-of-the-worst-of-night-terrors-1.228264

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/the-murderer-who-boxed-a-little-too-clever-by-half-1.228266

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/murder-case-agony-to-end-as-jury-decide-26166152.html

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/accused-says-he-did-not-move-wifes-body-in-buggy-26165922.html

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/husband-hounded-by-murder-probe-team-26165819.html

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/stunned-murphy-gets-life-for-murder-26166250.html

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/wife-murderer-gets-life-26166256.html

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1996/act/1/section/2/enacted/en/html#sec2

https://dublin.ie/live/stories/conor-dodd-and-luke-portess-glasnevin-cemetery-and-museum/

80 – Trauma: The murder of Wayne McQuillan

In the early hours New Year’s day, 2014 Wayne McQuillan stumbled out of a house in Rathmullen Park, Drogheda Co Louth. He was covered in blood. Paula Farrell, his partner would face trial for his murder three times.

But did she have a defence? 

Continue reading “80 – Trauma: The murder of Wayne McQuillan”

63 – Under the cover of Darkness: Dolores Lynch & Lyn Madden

In 1983, three women died in an horrific house fire at Blackpitts in Dublin. It would emerge that one of them – 34 year old Dolores Lynch – had been targeted by a violent and vengeful pimp. John Cullen was alleged to have held a grudge against the former sex worker for pursuing charges against him for an assault seven years before.

In the course of getting justice for Dolores Lynch, there would be shocking revelations about what went on in Dublin City under the cover of darkness.

Continue reading “63 – Under the cover of Darkness: Dolores Lynch & Lyn Madden”

50 – Murdered Abroad: The story of Jason Corbett

In August of 2015, a Limerick man, Jason Corbett, was found dead on his bedroom floor of the master bedroom of his lavish family home in North Carolina. His young wife and her father were covered in blood hen police arrived, and a bloody baseball bat and paving brick were found in the bedroom. They told the police that Jason had been killed in self defence. 

But Molly and Tom Martens would both face trial for the murder of Jason Corbett. The Limerick man’s family fought for justice, and for custody of his two young children, which was watched by people, both at home and abroad.

Continue reading “50 – Murdered Abroad: The story of Jason Corbett”

44 – Missing & Murdered: Operation Trace

Women have been disappearing from, or ending up found dead in, the Wicklow Mountains for over 30 years. In this bonus episode we look at a man that is suspected to have committed some of these abductions and murders,  look back on a number of unsolved rape and murder cases in the 80’s, and bring the story right up-to-date with that latest unfortunate woman to have been killed and dumped in what is called “the vanishing triangle”.

So, what the heck is going on in the Wicklow Mountains?

Continue reading “44 – Missing & Murdered: Operation Trace”

42 – Danger at Home: The Killing of Celine Cawley

Celine Cawley was a model, a former bond girl, an advertising producer and a successful business owner.

But in December of 2008, she was attacked in her own home and died of her injuries. Her husband, Eamonn Lillis, said that there had been an intruder in their exclusive Howth home, but was he telling the truth?

Continue reading “42 – Danger at Home: The Killing of Celine Cawley”

28 – Murder on Ireland’s Eye

In 1852, Sarah Maria Louisa Kirwan was found dead at the Long Hole on Ireland’s Eye as the tide receded. Her husband, William, had been painting a sunset scene of the Dublin Mountains and told the boatmen who returned to get them from the craggy island in Dublin Bay that he had no idea what had happened to her. An inquest found that the poor woman had drowned.

But in Victorian Dublin, rumours spread quickly, and it was discovered William Burke Kirwan was living a double life – one that provided a motive for murder.

Continue reading “28 – Murder on Ireland’s Eye”