Paragraph 9 reads: "Supt Gabriel O'Gara told Paul O'Higgins, for the DPP, Kinneavy was on medication for depression at the time of the killing."

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/therapist-gets-life-in-jail-for-stabbing-partner-14-times-1243983.html

Therapist gets life in jail for stabbing partner 14 times

Martin Kinneavy is led away from the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday after he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his partner

By Nicola Boyes
Tuesday December 11 2007

A therapist who murdered his partner by stabbing her 14 times was jailed for life yesterday.

Martin Ambrose Kinneavy (60), of Hampton Court, Inchicore, Dublin, claimed a Sunday newspaper article which exposed his holistic massage business as a brothel had plunged him into depression before the killing. The article sparked a garda investigation which led to the Criminal Assets Bureau ordering him to pay €344,000 in back taxes.

He was sentenced to life in prison for murdering his partner of 12 years, Mary Hannon (59), on April 22, 2005, at her home in Hampton Court, when he appeared at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday. Kinneavy was to stand trial for the murder but changed his plea to guilty before the case opened.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton heard the couple met while studying holistic therapy in the 1980s. Kinneavy left his wife in 1992 and moved into Ms Hannon's Hampton Court apartment.

The couple ran a holistic massage business from the apartment and variously at premises in Church Street, James Street and Glasnevin.

In 2002, an article appeared in the 'Sunday World' stating that "more than massage" was being offered at the business, the court heard, exposing Kinneavy's business as a brothel.

In subsequent interviews with gardai, Kinneavy said other people had allowed something more to happen, stating he was not directly involved.

The Criminal Assets Bureau became involved and in a settlement, the business, which had not paid tax in 12 years, was ordered to pay €344,000.

Supt Gabriel O'Gara told Paul O'Higgins, for the DPP, Kinneavy was on medication for depression at the time of the killing.

He visited a client during the day and had a couple of pints at a bar before heading back to the apartment that evening. When he got there, Kinneavy claimed Ms Hannon humiliated him by "giving out to him", telling him he could not use money he thought he was entitled to to pay the tax debt, the court heard.

Knife

As Ms Hannon packed up furniture in the attic of the apartment, Kinneavy went into the kitchen and got a knife.

"She was just turning around to him when he stabbed her with the knife," Mr O'Higgins said.

The State pathologist found 14 stab wounds on Ms hannon's body. So frenzied was the attack the final blow left the knife embedded in her abdomen, puncturing right through her body from front to back.

Kinneavy, who had no previous convictions, dialled 999 and admitted to gardai he had killed Ms Hannon.

In a victim impact statement, Ms Hannon's brother John said the family had been trying for nearly three years to come to terms with his sister's death.

"When a family member is ill and dying you have time to prepare for their death," he said. His family had not had any time to prepare.

"We're not looking for vengeance because we feel no ill will with anyone. There are two families that are hurting."

Mr Justice Charelton said statements by Kinneavy to gardai "simply read like statements of someone who is both honest and desperately trying to come to terms with what you did. No one will know apart from you what happened on that night."

- Nicola Boyes