12-05-2025
Monster used €6k van to hide body after brutal murder, rages Valerie French's brother amid fight for sister's belongings
THIS is the first photo of the camper van used by killer James Kilroy to hide wife Valerie French's body.
The release of the pic comes as her brother David, 56 — who is taking civil action for damages against Kilroy — is on a mission to find the items in his dead sister's estate.
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Valerie was killed at her home in June 2019
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Valerie's brother David is on a mission to find the items in his dead sister's estate
Credit: Collins
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This is the first photo of the camper van used by killer James Kilroy to hide wife Valerie French's body
David believes all his sister's belongings — including the camper van — should be sold and the money placed into a trust fund for Valerie's
Kilroy inflicted 57 injuries on the occupational therapist in a 'brutal' blade attack at their home in Co
He then put her body in the Mazda Bongo van and left their children in the house near Westport before he was later arrested by
The €6,000 vehicle — bought by Kilroy in 2013 as a treat for his 40th birthday — was used by the killer before the murder as he roamed around Ireland while his wife ran the family home and cared for their three kids.
Read more on Valerie French
Our exclusive image shows the monster enjoying the outdoor life in the camper van.
David — whose new book For Valerie, inset, is published on Thursday — believes his sister's estate includes her car, savings accounts, a motorcycle and a ride-on lawnmower.
He told The Irish Sun: 'The van should be sold because it's of no use to Kilroy, now he's serving a life sentence.
'He loved that camper van and just didn't care about other people.
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'He also loved knives and bows and arrows — and this also shows his violent tendencies.'
David added: 'He bought that van as a treat as he was so entitled and only ever cared about himself.
'BRUTAL CRIME'
'He used that camper van in the commission of a truly brutal
'I believe everything in Valerie's estate should be sold and that the proceeds should be put into a trust fund for her children.
'I have asked Kilroy's legal team to provide information on what he thinks should be in Valerie's estate.
'Once we have received his reply on the estate we will then consider our next course of action.'
INSANE CLAIM
David also believes Kilroy — who tried to claim that he was insane by insisting the mother of three had hired
Brute Kilroy is legally recognised as the sole owner of the
Although David has urged him to sell the property for Valerie's children, he has yet to agree to the move.
Valerie's brother is now considering taking legal action over the house.
LEGAL BATTLE
During a previous court ruling, wife killer Eamon Lillis was forced to surrender half of the proceeds from his house sale to victim Celine Cawley's daughter.
David added: 'Kilroy should not be in a position where he can benefit financially from my sister's horrific murder.
'Proceeds from the sale of that house should go to providing a future for her three children.
'If he doesn't agree to the house being sold, and the proceeds going to the children, we will be taking him to
'We have already seen cases where killers have been ordered to share sales from a house and this will be another option open to us.'
'ROBBED KIDS OF THEIR MOTHER'
David also said of Kilroy: 'He deprived those three children of a loving mother — it's time he finally did the right thing by those kids.
'He robbed those children of a future simply because of jealousy and rage. Why should he earn a nest egg after he completes his sentence?'
Since his sister's murder, he has fought a campaign for legislation to prevent individuals who have killed their spouses from having guardianship rights over their kids.
Entitled Valerie's Law, the issue is one of a number of themes in David's new book.
TRIBUTE TO SISTER
The publication pays tribute to his sister's loving personality, her relationship with monster Kilroy and the 'shocking aftermath' of the killing.
It will also outline details of the inquest into the murder, and three murder trials, before Kilroy was convicted in July 2024.
Kilroy — who has appealed his conviction and has never shown any remorse for the horrific killing of the mum of his three kids — is also described as an 'entitled and controlling' husband in the book.
'Kilroy should not be in a position where he can benefit financially from my sister's horrific murder."
David French
In one extract, David reveals how the couple's relationship 'was deteriorating' before she died.
It reads: 'One of Valerie's close friends afterwards told us Valerie was 'practically a single parent'. A few days before she was killed, they had gone with a group of friends to the cinema.
'ODD BEHAVIOUR'
'Kilroy had sat on his own. This was odd behaviour on a rare night out for the couple.
'He saw everything belonging to him as very important.
'And he cared more about his possessions than people.
'He was obsessed by the things he bought. He was obsessed about his motorbike, his camper van and his PlayStation.
'He only talked about himself — I felt Valerie was less important to him than his possessions.'
FOR Valerie by David French is published by Gill Books and is available in all good book stores from Thursday.
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David's new book For Valerie is set to be published on Thursday
