logo
Man who recorded murder of his wife after finding out about affair learns fate

Man who recorded murder of his wife after finding out about affair learns fate

A father of two who inadvertently recorded the moment he stabbed his wife to death told paramedics and Gardaí at the scene that the deceased was having an affair and he "freaked out" after seeing "something on her phone about sex", a court has heard.
Stephen Mooney, 53, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court on Monday to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for the murder of his 43-year-old wife Anna Mooney (nee Shuplikova). At the hearing, Mooney took the stand to apologise to his wife's family and their two children.
Mooney pleaded guilty to his wife's murder earlier this year after Gardaí hacked into his phone and discovered video footage of the build-up to the murder and an audio recording of the murder itself.
Outlining the evidence, Detective Sergeant Basil Grimes told prosecutor Desmond Dockery SC that Mooney called emergency services at 1.09am on June 15, 2023. He reported that a person had been stabbed at his home on Kilbarrack Road, Kilbarrack, Dublin 5 and when asked who did it, he replied: "I did."
A Dublin Fire Brigade officer was first on the scene and found Mooney kneeling over his wife's lifeless body, speaking to emergency services on the phone. She had a knife lodged in her chest.
The defendant told the paramedic: "I've killed her... She's my wife. This has been going on for years. I'm really sorry, she's been having an affair."
A Garda who arrived a short time later took a note of Mooney saying: "She's having an affair, it got out of control, I tried to save her, everyone's lives are ruined."
He added: "It's awful, I'm sorry to put you through this. I saw something on her phone about sex and everything else and freaked out."
He later said: "There is no suspect. I am the guilty one. There's nothing worth this."
Detective Garda Jeanette O'Neill carried out a technical exam of the home and found blood pooling on a couch and blood spatter on the wall immediately behind it. Ms Mooney was lying on her back on the kitchen floor when paramedics arrived.
The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week
Pathologist Dr Sallyanne Collis said the stab wound to Ms Mooney's chest tracked to 13.3cm and pierced the heart, diaphragm and abdominal cavity. The knife that had been lodged in her chest had a 16cm single-edged blade and a wooden handle.
There were further stab wounds to the lower left side of her back, the left upper arm and further incised wounds to her left hand and arm. She had "quite a considerable amount" of alcohol in her system. The pathologist concluded that death was caused by multiple sharp force injuries.
Detective Garda Grimes said that weeks before Mooney was due to go on trial this year, Gardaí accessed his phone for the first time using updated software that allows phones to be hacked even when they are protected by a password or pincode.
Analysis of the phone uncovered a 90-minute video clip which included footage of the murder, he said.
He said Mooney can be seen leaving the room where the murder happens and returning with the murder weapon. The moment when Ms Mooney died happened off-camera, he said, but the audio records "all events leading to her death".
Detective Garda Grimes said the video then goes quiet before Mr Mooney can be seen returning to the kitchen where he drinks three glasses of water and runs water over his hands while making the 999 call.
The detective said it appears that Mooney himself had set the phone to record in an elevated position with a view of the kitchen table. Detectives believe that Mooney set it up that way to record his wife entering her pin number into her own phone so that he could then take her phone and find out who she was contacting.
The recording was still running when Mooney attacked his wife.
The detective confirmed that Mooney has worked as an estate agent and has no previous convictions. Under cross-examination, he agreed with defence counsel Michael Bowman SC that Ms Mooney moved to Ireland from Ukraine in 2004 and the pair married in 2005. They have two children together.
Detective Garda Grimes agreed that the investigation had confirmed that Ms Mooney was having a relationship with a man in Germany.
Neither of the Mooney children were in court for Monday's hearing but Ms Mooney's brother, Anton Shuplikova, listened to the proceedings from Ukraine using a video-link and an interpreter.
Following the detective's evidence, Mooney took the stand to apologise to his wife's family. "I am truly sorry for what happened that night," he said. "It is the burden I go to bed with every night and wake up with every day.
"I loved Anna. I want to say sorry to Anton and his extended family."
He finished by saying: "I wish to apologise to my kids for the terrible suffering I have caused everybody. I hope one day everybody will be able to forgive me."
Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment. He said that while the family did not make a victim impact statement, from the evidence and the nature of the offence, he understands the "huge damage and trauma that has been caused".
He said he has no discretion in sentencing and Mooney's future will be determined by a parole board.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland
TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland

Irish Daily Mirror

timean hour ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

TD to make formal complaint after 'being pushed by garda' before All-Ireland

Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae says he has decided to make a formal complaint after allegedly being pushed by a garda before Sunday's All-Ireland final. 'I will [complain] tomorrow, guaranteed, because we did not deserve that,' the deputy told the Irish Mirror on Sunday evening, several hours after the incident in Dublin city centre. The politician was with dozens of fellow Kerry fans in the Cathedral Street street area of the inner city - beside O'Connell Street - when the incident happened. READ MORE: Tears in Croke Park as murdered mother and her two children remembered at All-Ireland final READ MORE: 'It's devastating' - Irish mum's tears over abduction of her two children The incident was caught on camera and was posted online - before quickly going viral. It had been viewed around 100,000 times on social media sites by Sunday night The footage appears to show a uniformed garda using one hand to move Deputy Healy-Rae away from him. The incident started when hundreds of Kerry fans were lining the street ahead of the Croke Park showdown with Donegal for Sam Maguire - and face off their county would later win. Danny Healy-Rae was allegedly pushed by a garda before Sunday's All-Ireland final Several fans noticed Deputy Healy-Rae - who was wearing a Kerry hat and lanyard - walking along the street. He acknowledged the cheers and waved to the fans before walking a few yards. He stopped to wave to fans again, before turning to walk down the street - which is when the incident with the garda happened. The two men walk close to each other and then the garda appears to stick out a hand to move the deputy out of his way. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week The garda then walks on, but a clearly upset Deputy Healy-Rae goes back to approach the officer. The two men talk to each other for a few seconds before they go their separate ways - while the crowd starts booing. Speaking after Kerry's 1-26 to 0-19 victory over Donegal, Deputy Healy-Rae said he was disappointed by the officer's actions. And he said he would be making a complaint on Monday morning. Such complaints are handled by Fiosru, the independent policing watchdog. He said: 'I will tomorrow. I am too busy today, I have a lot of calls there to answer and stuff. I will tomorrow, guaranteed, because we did not deserve that. We came up for no trouble - we came up supporting our team. I expected better from the gardai.' Independent Kerry TD Danny Healy-Rae has said he will now make a complaint over the incident. (Image: Gareth Chaney Collins) The Kerry TD praised said the other gardai on duty were fine. He said: 'There were other lovely gardai there and they were doing their duty. Deputy Healy-Rae said he had been inundated with comments from other Kerry fans - including those who witnessed the incident. He said: 'They are all talking to me about it. They booed the garda and everything at that stage. I am disappointed with his behaviour. I did nothing to deserve that. There was no trouble. I just don't know.' The Irish Mirror contacted gardai for comment on Sunday evening. A spokeswoman said in a statement: 'An Garda Síochána does not comment on unverified social media content. Any person who wishes to report the conduct of a member of An Garda Síochána can do so by contacting Fiosrú.' Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.

Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported
Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported

Irish Daily Mirror

time11 hours ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Failed asylum seeker who intentionally infected someone with HIV deported

The first man to be prosecuted in Ireland for intentionally infecting someone with HIV has been booted out of the country, it has emerged. The Sunday Mirror has confirmed that the man was deported on Tuesday. The move came 18 months after he had a conviction and 10-year jail term for infecting two women in Dublin with HIV quashed by the Supreme Court – following a legal saga stretching back to 2018. The failed asylum seeker was served with deportation orders earlier this year – and sources have confirmed to us that he was finally removed on a flight from Dublin Airport on Tuesday. No plane was chartered for the operation and the man, who arrived as a juvenile asylum seeker in Ireland in 2008, was flown out on a normal passenger service. But sources say he was escorted on the journey from Ireland by gardai from the National Immigration Bureau. 'He was deported on a flight on Tuesday,' a source confirmed to us. The man, who is now in his 30s, had been in custody up until the Supreme Court's decision to quash his sentence in 2023. He would normally have been released immediately after that decision, but it is understood he remained in custody as the Director of Public Prosecutions considered whether or not he should be retried. Sources tell us no retrial was ordered and the man was told he was being deported - which happened on Tuesday. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week It is unclear if he had spent any time as a free man following the Supreme Court decision – or had remained in custody the whole time. He had been convicted in early July 2018 of causing serious harm to two partners by intentionally or recklessly infecting them with HIV. He had denied the charges but a jury at his Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial returned a unanimous guilty verdict. The court heard women both started relationships with the man in 2009 and he had unprotected sex with them. They were tested and found to be HIV positive in 2010. They both said he was their partner and it was later established he had been diagnosed as HIV positive in 2008 when he was tested upon his arrival in Ireland. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.

From the Kerry archives, July 28, 2000: Tralee bank robbery, fire at Micko's house & Westlife in Tralee
From the Kerry archives, July 28, 2000: Tralee bank robbery, fire at Micko's house & Westlife in Tralee

Irish Independent

time17 hours ago

  • Irish Independent

From the Kerry archives, July 28, 2000: Tralee bank robbery, fire at Micko's house & Westlife in Tralee

Kerryman Today at 01:00 Every week in our Kerry archives piece, we take a trip back in time 25 years ago to see what was making the headlines in back then. This week, we're looking at July 7, 2000 so sit back, have a read and see if you remember if you remember any of these stories: Terrifying raid on ACC bank Staff at the ACC Bank at Denny Street in Tralee were subjected to a terrifying robbery on Wednesday afternoon in which a man who claimed to be armed made off with around £2,000 in cash. The man entered the bank premises at around 3.40pm and demanded money from one of the tellers. A number of staff crouched down during the incident in which the mar said 'don't move or I will shoot'. He was handed a quantity of money thought to be about £2,000 Bank staff had been unable to give Gardaí a definite statement on the amount at the time of going to press. Although the man was not visibly armed, staff said he claimed to be carrying a gun and said he would use it if necessary. Staff had genuine reason to believe that the man was armed. He was last seen leaving the premises and going in the direction of the Ashe Memorial Hall. Gardaí are using video footage from street security cameras to track his movements. A Garda spokesman said they did not believe the man was local, although his accent was not distinct "They couldn't detect a particular accent and described it as unusual You couldn't say it was from Kerry or Cork but it was definitely Irish," he said. An ACC Bank spokesman said the sum of money involved was 'not substantial, it was relatively small'. Gardaí believe it was at or below £2,000. Gardaí confirmed a report that the man had entered the premises earlier in the day before returning to conduct the larceny. He was not wearing a disguise and is described as around 5'11 and clean shaven. The bank security video was being examined or Wednesday afternoon in order to provide a visual identification of the man. Plain clothes and uniform Gardaí were also making enquiries around the town among taxi drivers, bus drivers, and hotels in order to establish any other sightings. This is the second robbery to have occurred at the Tralee branch of ACC Bank within the last two years. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "Staff believed he had a weapon and a sum of money was handed over in cash. They assumed he was behaving in a threatening manner and he was on his own," the ACC spokesman said. The quantity of money handed over to the man was relatively small because the bank safe was not opened. No-one was injured in the incident and the man was not handed all the available petty cash, as some was still present in the bank after the incident. "We wouldn't believe that he is local at all from the information we have got," the Garda spokesman said. Witnesses said the man was wearing a white polo neck with short sleeves and a stripe around the neck. He was wearing beige or light coloured trousers. Fire destroys Mick O'Connell's home Legendary Kerry footballer Mick O'Connell may have lost irreplaceable memorabilia from his illustrious sporting career in a fire which gutted his Valentia Island home at the weekend. But as his wife Rosaleen commented to The Kerryman this week: "The important thing is that, we are all safe and unharmed. Bricks and mortar can be replaced. The main thing is that nobody was hurt." The fire which badly damaged the O'Connell's family home started shortly after 6pm on Saturday evening. When Mrs O'Connell arrived back to the house she noticed smoke billowing from the scullery. She immediately dialled '999' and tried to extinguish the fire with the help of neighbours, who arrived at the scene with buckets of water. However, the blaze spread to the attic and most of the roof was destroyed. Despite the best efforts of several units of the Cahersiveen Fire Service, the 30-year-old bungalow was severely damaged. "We are. thankful to God that it didn't happen in the middle of the night and that we were all out when it started. My husband as out and about, I was in Mallow and my son Diarmaid was with his aunt. It could just as easily have happened in the middle of the night when we were all there. We were very lucky," she said. Mrs O'Connell paid tribute to her neighbours on the island whom she said have been 'fantastic' throughout the ordeal. "They've been feeding us and looking after us ever since. They've been brilliant." At the time of interview, she knew of only one of her husband's football medals which had been found after the fire. "We've lost a lot of things like trophies, Waterford glass and old photos but we can manage without those," she-said, adding that the sudden death of her brother-in-law in Cavan at the weekend put everything into perspective. The exact cause of the fire has not yet been established but Mrs O'Connell said it could have been caused by an electrical fault. Westlife coup for Rose festival Rose of Tralee organisers pulled off a major coup this week with the announcement that chart topping boy-band Westlife will headline the festival next month with a free gig in the town on Sunday, August 20. Teen pop sensations Samantha Mumba, Dove and Madasum have also been -.added, to the festival programme, which already includes free performances from '80s supergroup Dexy's Midnight Runners and US rock hand. Fun Lovin' Criminals. Speculation was rife in recent weeks that Welsh rock group Stereophonies would be the headline act for the event, but festival bosses have opted instead for Sligo pop group Westlife, who have topped the British and Irish charts with hits such, as Swear it Again and Flying Without Wings. At a second Rose of Tralee festival launch held at Dublin's Cocoon Bar on Wednesday, it was also announced that an outdoor version of To Dance on The Moon, Ceol Chiarrai's dance musical currently running at the Gleneagle Centre in Killarney, will officially open the festival on August 18 with a specially choreographed fireworks display. Current Rose of Tralee Geraldine O'Grady, who attended Wednesday's launch, has also announced that she is to release her own CD single Reckless on August 11.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store