Graham Turley sends condolences to husband of MP Jo Cox

Graham Turley, the widower of slain journalist Veronica Guerin has extended his condolences to the husband of British Labour MP Jo Cox.

“He has a huge mountain to climb” Mr Turley said on Friday.

“It will be difficult to get on with life with all the media speculation. It puts you in no-man’s land. Your life is turned upside down within minutes.

“It doesn’t sink in for months, or even a year. You are surrounded in a shroud of help. You don’t do the things you usually do. It keeps you in a little haze.

“It’s only when that dies down, when you’re on your own. Then you have to kick on, get back to doing things.”

Mr Turley was speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke Show in advance of the 20th anniversary of the murder of Veronica Guerin.

He described the day she died as “a complete haze,” it wasn’t until he had to identify her body that it sank in. “That’s when it first sank in that Veronica was not coming home.”

He added that there was “no such thing as second best for Veronica” when it came to football or work. “She wanted to be on the front page of the paper every Sunday.”

Mr Turley recalled an occasion when Gerry Hutch was in the kitchen of their home being interviewed by Veronica when he had rushed in and out and did not recognise the criminal.

“It looks like nothing has changed in 20 years, CAB was great when it came out. We’re 20 years down the road and crime in Dublin is still the same with shootings every week on the streets of Dublin.”

He said it was dreadful gardaí were taking home less pay than people who work in supermarkets. “What incentive is there to put their lives on the line?

“In the Dáil they talk about resources. The TDs need to stop talking and get up and do something.”