Sister who killed mother’s boyfriend appeals jail term

ONE of the Dublin sisters jailed for killing and dismembering their mother’s African boyfriend has lodged an appeal with the Court of Criminal Appeal against her 15-year sentence.

Mother of four Linda Mulhall was jailed by the Central Criminal Court last Monday for her part in the killing of Farah Swaleh Noor who had been dating their mother Kathleen.

Her sister Charlotte Mulhall a mother of one was given a life term for the man’s murder.

Charlotte Mulhall, 24, and her sister, Linda, 31, both of Kilcare Gardens, Tallaght, had each denied the murder of Farah Swaleh Noor otherwise known as Sheilila Salim at their mother’s flat at Richmond Cottages, Ballybough, on March 20th last year. His headless and dismembered body was found floating in the Royal Canal.

After a 13-day trial Charlotte Mulhall was found guilty of murder and Linda Mulhall was found guilty of manslaughter.

Charlotte stabbed the Kenyan up to 20 times with a kitchen knife and Linda admitted hitting him “a good few times” on the head with a claw hammer.

Both then spent hours sawing up his body in the bathroom of the mother’s apartment at Richmond Cottages, Ballybough.

They then dumped his limbs and torso in the nearby Royal Canal before taking his head on the bus to Tallaght where it was hidden in a park before being disposed of.

The victim’s head and penis have never been found.

Linda Mulhall has now lodged an appeal with the three judge Court of Criminal Appeal against the severity of the 15-year sentence handed down to her.

Passing sentence on both sisters at the Central Criminal Court last Monday Mr Justice Paul Carney said: “This is the most grotesque case of killing that has occurred within my professional lifetime.”

However he said there were many factors in Linda’s dysfunctional background that the jury would have already taken into account in determining the defence of provocation. He said she had no previous convictions — other than one for larceny, which her lawyer pointed out was 13 years ago.

He said an appropriate sentence in this case was one of 18 years in prison, but taking those factors into account he imposed a sentence of 15 years. to date from the time of her arrest.

The appeal hearing before the Court of Criminal Appeal is not likely to be heard until the new year.