Ex-soldier gets 8 years for killing prostitute in Westmeath

A retired member of the Defence Forces has been jailed for eight years at the Central Criminal Court after he killed a woman working as a prostitute.

In July at the Central Criminal Court, Jimmy Devaney, aged 67, of Millbrook Avenue, Monksland, Athlone, was acquitted of murdering Marie Greene in Westmeath but found guilty of her manslaughter on February 13, 2011.

It was the State’s case that Devaney murdered Ms Greene because she had been blackmailing him for money.

He told gardaí he had stabbed her several times because he lost control, but said that she had brought the knife to the scene.

Ms Greene, who was working as a prostitute, was last seen alive on the evening on February 13, 2011. Her body was discovered nine days later in Anagorta Bog, outside Athlone.

Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan yesterday told the court the case merited a custodial sentence of 11 years but she imposed an eight-year sentence, backdated to July 30.

The judge said the seriousness of the crime was “upper end of mid-range” and the appropriate sentence was 11 years, but taking all circumstances into account, she was imposing eight years.

The judge extended her sympathy to Ms Greene’s family, saying she had “died tragically” and they had been “deprived of a daughter and sister”.

Ms Justice Heneghan said the court had the benefit of hearing a victim impact statement read by Ms Greene’s nephew on November 2, which revealed “a heartbroken family living a nightmare that no family should have to endure”.

“The court was also furnished with references to the accused which I have read.

“The accused man has been described as gentle, honest, reliable, trust worthy, disciplined, and a dependable soldier. He was a man involved in charity work. A number of testimonials refer to the shock of Mr Devaney being linked to this terrible crime and how it was out of character,” she said.

Speaking outside court afterwards, Ms Greene’s older sister, Theresa, said that she was not happy with the sentence. She said Devaney “should have got more” and she hoped he “died in prison”.

“We will never see our sister again. It is hard on us but harder on my poor mother,” she said.

Devaney’s letter of apology is something the family refuse to accept. “We don’t accept the apology from him or his family,” Theresa Greene said.

“Marie was my favourite sister and I’m heartbroken, we had our ups and downs but she was very good to me and the kids. She was very good to my mother and looked after her, as good as any husband to her.

“Marie was a human being, at the end of the day. My mother is not well since then and worse she is getting. It is very upsetting (how she was portrayed during the trial) and I didn’t even know my own sister.”

Winnie Greene, Marie’s mother, said she would have liked Devaney “to get the full 11 years”.

“Twenty-one days after Marie died, my son died so I lost two of them together and that is very hard. I hope Devaney gets it very hard in prison,” she said.