Court hears teen who killed stepmum posted gruesome video of body to alert Gardaí.
The Central Criminal heard this week that a teenage boy who pleaded guilty to killing his step mother uploaded a gruesome video to his snap chat in order to alert the Gardaí to what he had done.
The killer, who cannot be named as he is under 18 years, murdered his stepmother Lorna Woodnutt on 29 September 2023 using a sledge hammer and a lump hammer to bludgeon the 51-year-old to death.
At the sentencing hearing five victim impact statements from Ms. Woodnutt’s family were read out.
Ms Woodnutt’s brother, Derek Woodnutt, spoke of his sister having lost her life “by such a cold-hearted killing”, and how he wonders what people who speak to him know of what was done to her.
The victim’s sister Roberta O’Brien said her “gruesome murder hosted on social media has left us broken beyond words”.
“Our biggest fears would be his video to reappear on social media in the future. This would lead to more suffering, a constant reminder of how our despicable nightmare began”. she said.
A joint statement on behalf of the Woodnutt family described how they had walked into a Garda station on the day Lorna was killed “oblivious to our sister’s public execution, which was hosted on social media by her murderer”.
“Evil entered the sanctity of our family that day…it is unbearable and we cannot see beyond it.” they said.
“Lorna loved life, she loved people, and was loved by people. Let Lorna not be defined by the grotesque way she was murdered.” it concluded.
Ms. Woodnutt’s niece, Jessica Woodnutt, said she, “shed tears as I knew the full extent of what lay beneath the cloth.
“I now hate the mere mention of the word hammer. I can’t stand the sight of them. Even a wooden mallet used to put up a sign post at an event one day turned my stomach.”
Delaying sentencing until the 3rd of October to allow for the preparation of a probation report which he said was essential in order to pass sentence on the boy, Mr Justice Paul McDermott directed that he be detained at Oberstown Children Detention Centre until then.
Man found guilty of murdering wife as cannabis induced psychosis claims rejected.
A man who claimed that he believed his wife who he murdered in 2019 was working with Donald Trump’s bodyguards in order to capture, torture and kill him has been found guilty of her murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.
James Kilroy was found guilty of the murder of his wife Valerie French Kilroy after he attacked her when she came home from a night between 13 June and 14 June 2019.
Kilroy had maintained his innocence saying that at the time of his wife’s death he had been suffering from cannabis induced psychosis or a form of acute and transient psychotic disorder.
After he attacked and killed Ms. French Kilroy, he was found roaming naked in a nearby field.
Kilroy will receive a mandatory life sentence next Monday when members of Ms. French Kilroy’s family will have the opportunity to address the court.
Couple charged with attack on French tour group where man was stabbed with screwdriver.
A couple whose names cannot be reported by order of Judge Mary Dorgan were brought before Cork District Court yesterday after being charged with launching an assault on a group of French students and their teacher.
The court heard allegations that the female member of the couple (27) had got the impression that a French teenager who was part of the group was laughing at her
Detective Garda Conor Cronin gave evidence that, “A group of French students in their early teens and their teachers were walking on St. Patrick’s Street at 10.20pm on July 23. They were on a school tour to Ireland.
“It is alleged that a male and female approached the group of children.
The woman got the impression that one of the teens was laughing at her and began to shout at the child before grabbing her Samsung phone out of her hand putting her in fear.
“The female then tried to leave with the phone and she was stopped by one of the French teachers who tried to get the phone back. The teacher and the female fell to the ground during the altercation.
“It is alleged that the male intervened and approached the teacher and struck him up to 10 times in the back and upper body with a screwdriver.
“The female then threw a coffee cup at the teacher, striking him in the face. The male and female then left the area,” Detective Garda Cronin said.