Fox jailed for life for killing wife, sons

A Co Westmeath man has been jailed for life today for stabbing his wife and two young sons to death after a late-night row in 2001.

Gregory Fox (aged 36) pleaded guilty today to the murder of wife Debbie (aged 30) and sons Trevor (aged 9) and Killian (aged 7) on July 28, 2001 in the village of Castledaly in Co Westmeath.

The court heard Fox slashed his wife’s throat with a knife and stabbed her with a broken beer bottle as well as beating her with a hurley because he thought she was having an affair and their marriage was over.

Fox, with an address at Kilcleagh, Castledaly, Co Westmeath, told gardaí he then killed his two sons because he didn’t want them waking to see what he had done.

Trevor died as a result of 31 stab wounds to the head and neck and Killian died after receiving 16 stab wounds to the trunk.

Mr Fox and his wife ran a grocery and petrol store in the village.

Fox, who apologised to his family and Debbie’s family through his defence counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC, showed no emotion when he was sentenced to life imprisonment by Mr Justice Paul Carney.