Life sentence for man who murdered wife

A 43-year-old Dublin man was sentenced to life in prison after he pleaded guilty to murdering his wife in the Central Criminal Court today.

Brian Vickers (aged 43) of Shelmalier Road, East Wall, Dublin had previously pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the manslaughter of his wife Joan Vickers (aged 43) on April 20, 2009 at the family home on Shelmalier Road, East Wall.

Mr Paul McDermott SC, prosecuting, told the court that sometime between 12:30am and 4:30am on April 20, 2009 Mr Vickers had stabbed his wife to death in the front bedroom of their home while Mrs Vickers father Michael O’Connor, who lived in the house at that time, slept.

The accused and Joan Vickers had four children together during their marriage and were described by prosecuting counsel as devoted parents.

The court heard that on the Sunday afternoon before the killing Mr Vickers and his wife had fought over whether he should go to the pub that evening rather than go to work.

Mrs Vickers went to the pub with a couple of friends without her husband who decided to go to work at the Dublin Docks where he had been employed as a crane operator for a number of years.

Some time later one of Mrs Vickers companions telephoned Brian Vickers asking him to join them.

When Mr Vickers told him his wife wouldn’t be happy if he went the friend replied: "who is the boss you or her?"

At that point Mr Vickers decided to go to the pub instead of work and when he arrived Mrs Vickers was not happy with his decision.

Detective Garda John Moriarty of Store Street Garda Station, told prosecuting counsel Brian Vickers had consumed between eight to nine pints and four to five lines of cocaine during the course of the evening.

Brian Vickers told Det Gda Moriarty, during interviews, he and his wife had been singing and dancing with each other during their time at the pub.

He told garda: ‘I felt Joan was making gestures about me behind my back from the expression on my friends faces.’

The Vickers returned to their home around midnight at which point Mrs Vickers retired to her bedroom.

Mr Vickers told Det Gda Moriarty he knocked on his wife’s bedroom door and asked if he could come in.

Mrs Vickers told him he did not need to knock and when asked by her husband if he could stay with her in the bedroom that night she agreed.

Mr Vickers said he rubbed his wife’s back but she told him to leave her alone and not touch her.

He told garda: "My mind started racing and I thought: 'another rejection', I just kept thinking of all the things she had done to me. I just lost it I ran downstairs and grabbed a knife and I stabbed her in the neck."

Mr Vickers then rang his eldest son Richard to come to the house to bring him cigarettes, but quickly rang him back telling him not to come.

He then got into his car and drove to the Quays where he telephoned his brother John Vickers and told him: ‘I’m after crossing the line with Joan.’

His brother replied: ‘I knew you were going to do that.’

Mr Vickers then drove to his family home in Donaghmead where he met his brother and asked him if he could get him a gun.

When John Vickers asked why he wanted a gun Mr Vickers replied: "So I can blow my f***ing head off’

John Vickers then told his brother Brian that he had two choices: "the police or the nuthouse".

Brian Vickers and his brother then voluntarily went to Raheny garda station at around 6am on the morning of the killing.

John Vickers told garda: ‘I’m not 100% sure about this but I think he just assaulted his wife with a knife.’

Mr McDermott SC, prosecuting, told the court that between the time of the stabbing and Brian Vickers presenting himself at the garda station no effort was made by him to attain any assistance for Mrs Vickers.

Prosecuting counsel told the court that when garda arrived at the scene they found Mrs Vickers lying on the bed in the front bedroom of the house, bleeding heavily.

Mr McDermott SC said: "Mrs Vickers was found with wounds to her throat and her left arm was raised above her head and she was clutching the broken-off blade of a kitchen knife."

The court heard that State Pathologist Dr Marie Cassidy conducted the post-mortem and found three stab wounds to the neck, one which fatally severed her jugular vein.

There was also defensive wounds to Mrs Vickers hands which were inconsistent with Mr Vickers' claims that his wife had been asleep when he inflicted the fatal injuries.

Dr Cassidy noted asphyxiation as a contributing cause of death which was due to Mrs Vickers either being grabbed by the neck or by her assailant sitting astride her body when she was stabbed thereby putting pressure on her chest.

Brian Vickers told gardaí when interviewed when he realised what he had done he went downstairs to get a second knife and had tried to stick it in himself.

He said: "I just kept thinking what I had put into the relationship and she wasn’t putting anything back into it and I just snapped."

Mr Michael O’Higgins SC. defending, told the court that Brian Vickers was a jealous man who became volatile when he drank.

He said: "It is an unfortunate reality that has to be acknowledged that Brian Vickers was a very jealous husband and this jealousy was heightened with the consumption of alcohol."

Mr O’Higgins told the court that Mr Vickers had always provided for his family and had been a devoted parent.

Mr O’Higgins SC, on behalf of Brian Vickers, re-iterated the apology he had made on the day of the killing.

Mr O’Higgins said: "It is a matter of huge regret to him that he killed his wife and he is very conscious of the havoc he has wreaked in the number of lives affected.

Steven O’Connor, brother of the deceased, read to the court a victim impact statement in which various members of Mrs Vickers family expressed the effect her death had on them.

Mr O’Connor said the family sincerely hoped that her children particularly her youngest children; Liam and Rebecca, who had been traumatised by the horrific manner of their mother’s death would in time lead normal lives.

Mr O’Connor urged the court to "send a message to the cowards who victimise women to impose the maximum sentence".

Richard Vickers the eldest son of the deceased said the pain of the loss of their mother would be with him and his siblings forever.

He said: "The pain of this loss is even stronger because in a way we have lost both parents."

Catherine O’Connor, the deceased’s sister, said her heart was broken following her sister's death.

She said: "If it were a rip or a tear it could be easily mended but how do you mend a broken heart?"

Before handing down sentence, Mr Justice John Edwards asked prosecuting counsel to clarify if it would have made a difference if Mrs Vickers had received assistance immediately after the stabbing rather than being left by her husband for an hour before the garda were contacted.

Mr McDermott SC said: "There was no evidence one way or another whether it would have made a difference, it simply wasn’t done."

Mr Justice Edwards told Brian Vickers he had no discretion in relation to sentencing: "The law requires that it is a mandatory life sentence I must impose on you to date from the April 20, 2009."

Mr Justice Edwards conveyed the sympathy of the court to the family of Joan Vickers and admired the manner in which they had composed themselves.

He said: "The court has noted and taken account of everything said by the family in the victim impact report they are to be commended for having composed themselves with great dignity and stoicism with what has been a terrible tragedy."