A Dublin man who murdered his partner by stabbing her 14 times said a Sunday newspaper article humiliated and plunged him into depression before the killing, a court heard yesterday.
He claimed it exposed his holistic massage business as a brothel, which led to the Criminal Assets Bureau ordering him to pay €344,000.
Martin Kinneavy (60), Hampton Court, Inchicore, Dublin, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court at Dublin to life in prison for murdering his partner of 12 years, Mary Hannon (59), on April 22nd, 2005, at her home in Hampton Court.
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, started a relationship with Ms Hannon and moved into her apartment.
The couple ran a holistic massage business from Ms Hannon's apartment and 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, the court heard, exposing Kinneavy's business as a brothel.
In interviews with gardaí following the articles, Kinneavy said other people at the premises had allowed something more to happen and stated he was not directly involved.
The Cab investigated 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 Director of Public Prosecutions, that Kinneavy was on medication for depression at the time of the killing.
The court heard that Kinneavy visited a client during the day and stopped off for drinks at a bar before heading back to the apartment that evening.
When he got there, Kinneavy told gardaí Ms Hannon was humiliating him by "giving out to him", telling him he could not use money he thought he was entitled to, to pay the Cab debt.
He 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 that the final blow saw the knife embedded in her abdomen puncturing right through her body.
Kinneavy, who has no previous convictions, dialled 999 and admitted to gardaí that 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 the 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."
Blaise O'Carroll for Kinneavy gave the court reports on the depression suffered by Kinneavy at the time of the killing. He said he had pleaded guilty to prevent the Hannon family suffering the further trauma of a trial. "He would like to express his sincere profound regret that this tragedy occurred."
In sentencing Kinneavy to life in prison, Mr Justice Charleton said: "It is a case where two families have been bereaved and touched as a consequence of the killing."
He backdated the life sentence to April 2005.