Latest news with #JulieAnnMcIlwaine
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Murder conviction being appealed after 'traumatic' case
A woman jailed for 12 years for murdering her partner has lodged an appeal against her conviction, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has said. Julie Ann McIlwaine, of Hazel Close, Lagmore, stabbed James Joseph Crossley, 38, while he slept at her former home in Filbert Drive in Dunmurry on 2 March 2022. The 34-year-old had admitted to killing Mr Crossley but denied his murder. Her sister, Rachel McIlwaine, told BBC News NI a "loss of control" defence should have been accepted in the case. During the trial the court heard how Julie Anne McIlwaine and James Joseph Crossley were in a relationship marred by domestic abuse and coercive control. In October 2024, jurors at Coleraine Crown Court rejected her argument and found her guilty after nine hours of deliberations. Rachel McIlwaine said her sister acted in "an acute stress reaction" and "has to pay for what she did", but she believes a manslaughter conviction would have been more appropriate. She said her sister accepted what she did and was "very remorseful", and the case had been "very traumatic for all the families involved". "We have been put through an ordeal that we potentially shouldn't have been put through due to the levels of domestic abuse that were prevalent in this relationship," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme. Rachel also said such a complex case should have been decided by a judge, and not a jury. "To make these determinations as 12 individual people and come up with a unanimous decision is, I imagine, a very difficult thing. In my mind that legal test should not be a jury but a judge-led trial," she added. A PPS spokeswoman responded: "The loss of control is a partial defence to murder, which, if accepted by a jury, would reduce the charge to manslaughter. "This defence was raised by the defendant in this case. The jury, having heard all the facts and circumstances of the case, did not accept this defence and convicted the defendant of murder." The PPS spokeswoman said it had "a duty to put before the court those cases that meet the test for prosecution". "This means that there is sufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to prosecute," she added. The PPS also responded to criticism of the jury trial. "The Director of Public Prosecutions can certify a non-jury trial in certain exceptional cases as set out in legislation. This case did not meet any of the legislative criteria for a non-jury trial," the PPS spokeswoman said. "The defendant has lodged an appeal against conviction, and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment further." The judge, Mr Justice Kinney, described the murder of Mr Crossley as "brutal and savage''. He told the defendant that after serving the minimum of 12 years in custody, it would be up to parole commissioners to decide whether it was safe to release her back into the community. At the time of his death, James Crossley was on bail for an assault against McIlwaine and was subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from being in contact with her. The defence said McIlwaine was suffering from a temporary "stress reaction" brought on by the trauma of her abusive relationship. The prosecution told the court that the defendant's "rational choices" on the night of the stabbing proved that she was in control of what she was doing. Following Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Det Insp Michelle Griffin of the PSNI said it has been an "extremely difficult case" involving two people who had been in a "mutually abusive relationship". She said that it had left "so many family members, including children, totally heartbroken". Rachel McIlwaine said she had a lot of "empathy" and "sadness" for Mr Crossley's family. "I have my own brother, and my parents have their own son, and I can't imagine what that loss is like to a family," she said. Woman who killed partner as he slept jailed for 12 years
BBC News
22-05-2025
- BBC News
Julie Ann McIlwaine lodges appeal against murder conviction
A woman jailed for 12 years for murdering her partner has lodged an appeal against her conviction, the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) has Ann McIlwaine, of Hazel Close, Lagmore, stabbed James Joseph Crossley, 38, while he slept at her former home in Filbert Drive in Dunmurry on 2 March 34-year-old had admitted to killing Mr Crossley but denied his sister, Rachel McIlwaine, told BBC News NI a "loss of control" defence should have been accepted in the case. During the trial the court heard how Julie Anne McIlwaine and James Joseph Crossley were in a relationship marred by domestic abuse and coercive October 2024, jurors at Coleraine Crown Court rejected her argument and found her guilty after nine hours of McIlwaine said her sister acted in "an acute stress reaction" and "has to pay for what she did", but she believes a manslaughter conviction would have been more said her sister accepted what she did and was "very remorseful", and the case had been "very traumatic for all the families involved"."We have been put through an ordeal that we potentially shouldn't have been put through due to the levels of domestic abuse that were prevalent in this relationship," she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme. Partial defence Rachel also said such a complex case should have been decided by a judge, and not a jury."To make these determinations as 12 individual people and come up with a unanimous decision is, I imagine, a very difficult thing. In my mind that legal test should not be a jury but a judge-led trial," she added.A PPS spokeswoman responded: "The loss of control is a partial defence to murder, which, if accepted by a jury, would reduce the charge to manslaughter. "This defence was raised by the defendant in this case. The jury, having heard all the facts and circumstances of the case, did not accept this defence and convicted the defendant of murder."The PPS spokeswoman said it had "a duty to put before the court those cases that meet the test for prosecution"."This means that there is sufficient evidence to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction and that it is in the public interest to prosecute," she PPS also responded to criticism of the jury trial."The Director of Public Prosecutions can certify a non-jury trial in certain exceptional cases as set out in legislation. This case did not meet any of the legislative criteria for a non-jury trial," the PPS spokeswoman said."The defendant has lodged an appeal against conviction, and therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment further." 'Can't imagine that loss' The judge, Mr Justice Kinney, described the murder of Mr Crossley as "brutal and savage''.He told the defendant that after serving the minimum of 12 years in custody, it would be up to parole commissioners to decide whether it was safe to release her back into the the time of his death, James Crossley was on bail for an assault against McIlwaine and was subject to a restraining order prohibiting him from being in contact with defence said McIlwaine was suffering from a temporary "stress reaction" brought on by the trauma of her abusive relationship. The prosecution told the court that the defendant's "rational choices" on the night of the stabbing proved that she was in control of what she was Tuesday's sentencing hearing, Det Insp Michelle Griffin of the PSNI said it has been an "extremely difficult case" involving two people who had been in a "mutually abusive relationship".She said that it had left "so many family members, including children, totally heartbroken".Rachel McIlwaine said she had a lot of "empathy" and "sadness" for Mr Crossley's family."I have my own brother, and my parents have their own son, and I can't imagine what that loss is like to a family," she said.
Irish Times
20-05-2025
- Irish Times
‘It's either him or me': Woman (34) jailed for murdering abusive partner as he slept
A woman who murdered her abusive partner, repeatedly stabbing him while he was sleeping, has been ordered to serve a minimum of 12 years of her life sentence in prison. Sentencing Julie Ann McIlwaine (34) at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Kinney told the mother of four that despite the fact she was bullied, assaulted and subjected to coercive control by Jim Crossley (38), 'nothing can ever excuse the murder of another person'. The fact she was subjected to domestic abuse did lower McIlwaine's culpability, the judge said, but there were also a number of aggravating features including the use of a weapon on a sleeping victim and 'the number of wounds inflicted'. The judge said McIlwaine it will be up to parole commissioners to decide when, and under what conditions, she will be released after serving 12 years. READ MORE Addressing the Crossley family, Mr Justice Kinney said he accepted it would be difficult for them to listen to his sentencing remarks 'on several levels', but it was important the features of the 'dysfunctional' relationship were outlined. McIlwaine admitted inflicting the fatal stab wounds at her former home on Flibert Drive in Dunmurry, Co Antrim on March 1st, 2022, but fought the murder charge on a partial defence of a loss of self-control. A jury unanimously convicted her of murder at the end of a two week trial last October. The jury of five men and seven women heard Mr Crossley had taken a sleeping tablet and was asleep when McIlwaine crept down the stairs of her former home and picked up the largest kitchen knife she had. She returned to the bedroom and moved her 10-month-old daughter before stabbing Mr Crossley seven times in his chest and abdomen, once in the leg and once in each arm. He woke and called out 'help me Julie Ann' as she grabbed the infant and fled, locking herself in the downstairs bathroom before calling 999. An ambulance crew came to the scene and found Mr Crossley at the top of the stairs, but he died within an hour of being stabbed. McIlwaine was in the back of a police car on her way to custody when news came through that the man she claimed to love, but who she said had 'tortured' her, had died. The jury heard Mr Crossley had earlier given McIlwaine an 'ultimatum' of choosing between him or her family. She was recorded telling police and her neighbour that the situation had got to the point where she believed 'if I don't get rid of him I have no way of escaping from him ... It's either him or me'. 'I didn't plan to kill him. He is a horrible person, twisting things in my head about his solicitor and his family,' she said. During her police interviews, she said their relationship began in January 2020 and there had been periods of separation with incidents of domestic violence, coercive control and verbal abuse interspersed. The court heard an outline of some of the alleged abuse, which included Mr Crossley being arrested in Spain in August 2020 after choking McIlwaine in a Santa Ponsa hotel. He was subject to a restraining order having been convicted of domestic violence, with McIlwaine and her children spending six months living in a Women's Aid refuge in 2021. He also rammed McIlwaine's car off the road in a drunken rage, causing £7,000 of damage, the court was told. Speaking after the sentencing, PSNI Det Insp Griffin said it was 'a tragic case which leaves so many family members, including children, totally heartbroken'. 'The two had been in a mutually abusive relationship. At the time of Mr Crossley's death, a restraining order was in place that prohibited him from being in contact with Ms McIlwaine,' the detective said. 'Despite this safeguard, and a period of separation during which the defendant resided in a woman's refuge, Julianne contacted Jim to re-establish their relationship, which he agreed to.'
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
Woman who killed partner as he slept jailed for 12 years
A woman has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for the murder of her partner in west Belfast in 2022Julie Ann McIlwaine, of Hazel Close, Lagmore, stabbed James Joseph Crossley, 38, while he slept at her former home in Filbert drive in Dunmurry on 2 March Ann McIlwaine had admitted killing Mr Crossley but denied his October 2024, jurors at Coleraine Crown Court rejected her argument and found her guilty after nine hours of deliberations. More to follow.
