Axe murderer goes on profanity-laden tirade at sentencing
Ewen Dewitt, 45, accepted a plea deal in March to serve 40 years in prison for the killing of his ex-girlfriend, 40-year-old Julie Minogue, in December 2022.
He was charged with murder, risk of injury to a child, home invasion, criminal violation of a restraining order and violation of a protective order.
According to police, Dewitt entered Minogue's condo in Milford and hit her with an axe 13 times while two of her children, aged three and 17 at the time, were inside.
'It was cold, calculated, well thought out,' state attorney Margaret Kelly said during Thursday's hearing, ABC affiliate WTNH reported.
Dewitt stood up and interrupted the proceedings by cursing at the lawyer.
'Rot in hell you piece of expletive … expletive expletive … watch your mouth,' he said as one of six marshals told him to sit down.
At the beginning of the sentencing hearing, Minogue's sister address the courtroom.
'December 6, 2022, is an evening that will haunt my family forever,' Allison Barotti-Corcoran said, NBC affiliate WVIT reported.
'I wish I could convey the heartbreak that we continue to experience and relive everyday.'
She also called the murder horrific and absolutely disgusting.
'I often lie awake at night, thinking about the last few moments and what they must have been like. I can't imagine the fear and the pain in those last moments of her life.'
The victim's mother told Dewitt that she hopes he rots in hell.
'He denied me and my family the right to see my daughter even before her funeral because he mutilated her and we couldn't even see her or say goodbye to her,' Sandra Doepper said.
Dewitt addressed the court briefly and apologized for his actions on that day.
'I wanna say I'm sorry. I snapped, I have no one to blame but myself here and I take full responsibility for what I've done and I'm really sorry. This is not what I wanted at all,' Dewitt said.
The family was critical of the police response to her pleas for help.
Minogue received a protective order against Dewitt after he was arrested in November 2019 for allegedly assaulting her.
Three years later, on Dec. 1, 2022, police said a full no-contact restraining order was granted to Minogue after she filed a complaint that Dewitt was harassing her.
Cops alleged Dewitt texted her harassing messages more than 200 times after she asked to be left alone.
Minogue told police that she was scared he was going to kill her. She was found dead in her home by police five days later.
The family claimed in a lawsuit against the city of Milford and local police that not enough was done to protect Minogue before her death.
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