A Co Kerry man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the murder of a woman he stabbed 99 times at her flat in Tralee in 1996. A jury took 5 1/2 hours to reach its unanimous verdict at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday.
John O'Mahony (37), a baker, Boherbee, Tralee, Co Kerry, was found guilty of the murder of Hannah (Margaret) O'Sullivan at a flat in Upper Castle Street, Tralee on August 18th, 1996.
The body of Ms O'Sullivan, a separated mother of three, was found by her 12-year-old son on her 40th birthday, August 19th, two years ago. O'Mahony had admitted her manslaughter but denied intent to murder.
Mr Justice O'Higgins imposed a mandatory life sentence backdated to October 23rd, 1996. As O'Mahony was handcuffed by prison officers, sisters and relatives of Ms O'Sullivan cried and smiled at the back of the court. Her son Oliver and estranged husband Daniel, who had remained outside since an outburst on Wednesday when O'Mahony was giving evidence, cried as they hugged relatives emerging from the court.
During the four-day trial, the prosecution told the jury Ms O'Sullivan "was afflicted with a very severe addiction to alcohol". Mr Gregory Murphy SC said she had left her home six or seven years before her death and came increasingly under the influence of her alcohol addiction.
O'Mahony also had a drink problem and in 1991 he met Ms O'Sullivan through a friend of hers who attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Tralee. He took her back to his house and, arising out of that, a rape allegation was made by her. The allegation was withdrawn a week before the trial was due to begin.
O'Mahony said that on August 18th, 1996, after Ms O'Sullivan threatened to revive the allegation unless he paid her money, he had first just wanted to "look her in the eye and ask her to stop". She rang him twice on August 17th and once on the evening of the 18th, "shouting and screaming `give me money, give me money' ".
When she came to his house that night, he was "already upset" and had shouted at her before pushing her out the bakery door. He followed her from his house back to her flat, pushing in after her. When she produced a knife and a struggle ensued, he "flipped and lashed out at her". Mr Eamon Leahy SC, defending, told the jury the killing "was wrong, was not justified and she did not contribute to her own death", but his client's intent was not murderous.
The State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, told the court there were 98 or 99 stab wounds on the body. There were at least 22 "criss-cross" head wounds and 55 knife strokes to the head.
Mr Murphy said O'Mahony feared further embarrassment from a renewed rape allegation, and "wanted to be rid of this turbulent woman". When he inflicted those stab wounds, O'Mahony "thought he was doing it to a woman who was the dregs of society", who was "a matter of complete indifference to him, a different class from him" and "he thought he'd get away with it". Ms O'Sullivan had maintained a close relationship with her children. Her family, her estranged husband and her children were "most forgiving".