A judge has said that a minimum 18-year prison sentence imposed on a man who murdered his wife in Co Derry by throwing her in petrol and setting fire is “the least he deserves”.
Thomas Rainey, 61, pleaded guilty to murdering Katrina Rainey in October 2021 at the family farm on Quarry Road, Knucklegrim, reports RTE.
He was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty, but the minimum period he must serve before he can apply for parole was set today at Belfast Crown Court.
In sentencing, Judge O’Hara described what Rainey did to his 53-year-old wife as “the ultimate act of domestic violence”, reports RTE.
The judge said the murder was premeditated because he poured gasoline into a bucket and gave it to his wife to throw away, as well as a lighter.
Ms. Rainey had no real hope of escaping, the judge said, even after she got out of the car.
He added that she had “extensive injuries in the most harrowing of manners”, reports RTE.
The court had previously heard Rainey’s defence team say there was no history of domestic violence.
However, the judge said that killing a wife for divorce is itself an act of domestic violence.
He said the events were witnessed by Mrs. Rainey’s children who heard the screams and saw something they would never forget.
Judge O’Hara said the minimum prison term of 18 years was a “significant sentence for a man of 61”, reports RTE.
But he said, “Given the horror of what he did to his wife, it was the least he deserves,” reports RTE.
Today, the court heard that Ms Rainey’s parents described her as a “gentle”, “beautiful” and “sincere” person who “made time for everyone”, reports RTE.
Her mother said it felt as if her life had been taken as well, while her father said he only had one daughter and her death “left a void that can never be filled”, reports RTE.
Mrs Rainey’s son’s victim impact statement described how he missed his mum’s home but lacked the words to describe how he felt.
In her statement, she said: “I was going to work. I came out of the house and got into the car and turned the ignition on. My husband opened the passenger door, he threw something in a bucket over me. He held onto my fleece so I couldn’t get out of the car. He lit me, he lit me with a torch or lighter or something. I had my seatbelt on and I couldn’t get out of the car, but then I tried to get out and I threw myself on the ground and kept hitting my the horn. I needed to get some help so I put my hand on the horn.”
Speaking at Belfast Crown Court, Detective Inspector Hazel Miller described Mrs Rainey as a loving and caring mother.
The official said that the children and family members of the deceased faced unimaginable grief and pain.
“They are still trying to come to terms with losing a loved one in such horrific circumstances”, reports RTE.
Detective Inspector Miller said that Rainey had been held accountable for his actions “which were deliberate and shocking and have left a family absolutely shattered”, reports RTE.
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