A woman from Belfast who suffered sustained domestic abuse at the hands of her partner has been sentenced to at least 12 years in prison for his murder while he slept, reports RTE.
Julianne McIlwaine, from Hazel Close, fatally stabbed James Joseph Crossley ten times at her previous residence in west Belfast in March 2022.
The 34-yr-old was convicted of murdering her partner by a jury last October and was informed today that she must serve a minimum of 12 years in prison before she can be considered for parole, reports RTE.
At the time of the verdict, the judge had told McIlwaine that a “tariff hearing” would take place once further reports were obtained, during which the minimum sentence would be determined.
Today, Belfast Crown Court heard that McIlwaine carried out a savage attack on 38-year-old James Joseph Crossley, stabbing him ten times while he was in bed, reports RTE.
She cried in the dock as the judge recounted the case’s background.
Mr Justice Kinney noted that it was impossible to fully understand the incident without acknowledging the toxic and abusive relationship between the couple.
He told the court that it was undisputed that McIlwaine had endured significant physical and emotional abuse at the hands of the man she killed, reports RTE.
At the time of the murder, James Crossley had a restraining order in place preventing him from contacting McIlwaine and was out on bail for a violent assault on her the previous year.
Despite this, the pair were secretly living together, with neither their families, legal representatives, nor police aware of the arrangement.
The judge stated that he accepted McIlwaine was experiencing an acute stress response at the time of the killing and had been provoked “by the prolonged abusive behaviour of the deceased”, reports RTE.
Still, Mr Justice Kinney made clear that no amount of abuse could ever justify murdering an abusive partner or anyone else.
Family members and friends of McIlwaine were present in court, with some wearing t-shirts promoting an end to domestic abuse.
Outside the courthouse, PSNI Detective Inspector Michelle Griffin described the case as extremely complex, involving “two people in a mutually abusive relationship”, reports RTE.
“Working in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service, the defendant has today been held accountable,” she added, reports RTE.
“It remains, however, a tragic case which leaves so many family members, including children, totally heartbroken. There are no winners here. Only sorrow prevails. It’s a sad reminder that no one should ever take the law into their own hands, and I want to appeal to anyone, irrespective of gender or background, who is experiencing, or has experienced, domestic abuse to please speak to us. We know that domestic abuse can take many forms, from coercive control to physical abuse. Whatever your circumstances, I promise that we will listen to you, and we will support you. Please contact us on 101,” Detective Inspector Griffin said, reports RTE.
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