"I always thought we would grow old together" - Court hears from wife of taxi driver stabbed to death

The daughter of a taxi driver who was stabbed and left to die on the side of the road has told the Central Criminal Court that he was "brutally, viciously and inhumanely killed for no fault of his own".

The Central Criminal Court heard impact statements from the mother, wife, daughters and siblings of 53-year-old Martin Mulligan who died from stab wounds at Carnmore, Balriggan, Dundalk, Co Louth on September 28, 2015.

A jury found Joseph Hillen (24) of Glendasha Road, Forkhill, Co Armagh guilty of his manslaughter by a ten to two majority last October. He will be sentenced on January 28.

At a sentence hearing today in front of Justice Eileen Creedon the deceased's youngest daughter Shauna said she had the "privilege and honour of having my dad in my life for 25 years until he was brutally, viciously and inhumanely killed for no fault of his own."

She remembered her dad as "hardworking, caring, loving, beautiful, patient, intelligent, amusing and affectionate." In five separate impact statements Martin Mulligan was described as the family bond and the kind of person who would light up a room with his good humour, warmth and laughter. Shauna said his happiest times were those spent with his family and he was her role model.

The late Martin Mulligan

She said: "He supported me in so many ways and motivated me with his kind encouraging words like "you just do your best" or "I am very proud of you Shauna"."

His death had done ever-lasting damage that can never be described, she said. The circumstances of his death have left her "vulnerable and afraid to face life without him". His eldest daughter Sharon remembered his "kindness and selflessness" and recounted how when their next-door neighbour's father died Martin took care of their youngest boy Cian, picking him up from school, taking him to football on Sundays and having him over to stay at weekends.

She added: "Cian, who has just turned 18, told me that he was looking forward to having his first legal pint with my Dad."

Every moment in her life will be tinged with sadness, she said. As the family faces their fourth Christmas without him they feel nothing will ever be the same. "My family and I feel like we have nothing to look forward to any more."

Sharon added:

"My son will never meet the granddad he would have loved. My dad was a huge part of my life and I know he would have played a major role in my son's."

Martin Mulligan's taxi

The court also heard Martin Mulligan met his wife Grainne when they were teenagers and they were about to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary when he died.

"We had so many wonderful years together," she said, "but not enough. Martin was and still is the love of my life."

Before he left that Sunday evening he told her: "I'm looking forward to tomorrow." They both had Mondays off, she explained, and would spend them together. "That was the last intimate moment I had with Martin."

Mrs Mulligan described him as a "talker" who was admired by "so many people". He had a "wonderful sense of humour. Being funny was one of his greatest assets." His proudest achievement was his two girls.

Mrs Mulligan said she would always be haunted by the way her husband died: "On the side of the road, alone without me or his family around him. I always wonder, did he cry out for me?"

She added:

"I always thought we would grow old together, looking after each other and enjoying our grandchildren like my parents and Martin's parents. The way it should be."

Detective Garda James Doherty told Patrick Treacy SC for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) that Hillen had previous convictions for road traffic offences, one for handling stolen property and another for evasion of customs on chargeable goods. He agreed with defence counsel Brendan Grehan SC that Mr Hillen had no previous convictions relating to violence.

Detailing the evidence in the trial Det Gda Doherty said the deceased worked as a coal delivery man and as a taxi driver. On the night he died he dropped off his last fare at Forkhill, Co Armagh at 1.45am. His body was found at 3.06am a short distance from his taxi at Carnmore. He had suffered two stab wounds, one to the abdomen that severed the aorta and another to his right thigh that also severed an artery.

In garda interviews Hillen denied any knowledge of what happened to Mr Mulligan but in summer this year he gave a voluntary statement in which he said he was driving when he saw Mr Mulligan at a plot of land owned by his friend. There had been trouble with illegal dumping at the site and Hillen thought that Mr Mulligan was dumping rubbish from his car.

There was a short car chase followed by a scuffle or "wrestling" during which Hillen said the deceased pulled a knife on him. Hillen said he managed to "flip the knife" and while being struck from above he "jabbed out" twice and inflicted the fatal wounds. He said he had acted in self defence and the jury in his trial was told to find him not guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter if Hillen acted in self defence but used excessive force.

In submissions to the judge at today's hearing Mr Grehan told the judge that his client apologises to the Mulligan family. He said that a probation report handed into the court stated that his client has insight into his crime and understands the pain he has inflicted on the deceased's family.

He asked the judge to take into account Hillen's youth, his remorse and his offer to plead guilty to manslaughter, which was rejected by the DPP.

Justice Creedon said she wanted to "consider all matters" and adjourned sentencing until January 28.

Victim impact statement of Mrs Grainne Mulligan, wife of the deceased

I am Grainne Mulligan. I have known Martin since I was 15 and Martin 16. Most of my life was spent with Martin. We were just about to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary. We had so many wonderful years together. But not enough. Martin was and still is the love of my life.

On the 27th September, 2015 Martin done his usual thing. He cleaned the car in the afternoon, went back to bed for an hour, he then went to play his five-a-side football which he loved, came home to have a shower then got ready for work.

Before he left he kissed me goodnight and said: "I'm looking forward to tomorrow." Neither of us worked on Mondays and we always spent Mondays together. That was the last intimate moment I had with Martin.

Martin was a very popular man. He was loved and admired by so many people. He had so much time for everyone. Martin was a talker. He could talk to anyone and have a great conversation on any subject. He loved children which breaks my heart to know that our grandson Martin Jay will never know his Granda. Martin would have loved to play football with him, take him for spins on the bar of his bike or away in his lorry. Martin spent a lot of time working in his shed making and fixing things. I know he would have shown and taught Martin Jay so much. I can see the two of them laughing and playing together. The two of them will miss out on so much.

Martin was the most kind-hearted person I knew. While working on his coal run Martin once came across a family who were struggling. They were very poor and he wanted to help them. He came home and asked Sharon and Shauna to fill up big black bags with any clothes they no longer wanted so he could take it for the lady's daughter. From that moment on Martin continued to give whatever he could as often as he could to this family. They loved Martin and were very grateful to him.

My parents saw Martin more as a son than a son-in-law. They depended on him for everything. No matter what happened or what they needed it was Martin they went to. When we were buying a new car I had told Martin that I wanted a people carrier. Martin said: "They're love Grainne but your mother won't be able to get into it." I didn't even think of that but Martin did. He took my Mam and Dad away every year for a few days somewhere in Ireland. They always looked forward to it. They loved Martin.

Anyone who knew Martin knew he had a wonderful sense of humour and a very loud laugh. He was always putting a smile on people's faces. Being funny was one of his greatest assets.

Martin had a strong respect and appreciation for nature and wildlife. We didn't kill spiders in our home. We lifted them and put them outside. When Martin was a young boy his Dad and older brotehr Gerry took him shooting for rabbits. Never again was he allowed to go because Martin kept chasing the rabbits away. He didn't want them to get shot. Martin loved David Attenborough's Planet Earth. He could talk for hours about dinosaurs which he loved and had a great interest in. He also had a great knowledge of the starts, planets and the universe. Global warming was something he cared strongly about. He believed more should be done to save the environment.

Martin achieved many great things in his life. His passion for football began in primary school when he won the school boys' league. And in 1974 at the age of 12 he played with Sean O'Mahony's and won the junior league and championship that year. Martin never stopped playing football. He loved it so much and was always part of a team. When he knew he was getting past it Martin started up a five-a-side team playing every Sunday night right up to the night he died.

His many achievements showed how hard-working Martin was. From being heavily and physically involved in the building of our new home 16 years ago. He laboured for the builder and the carpenter all while working his coal run and taxi run. He also tiled everything that needed tiling which was something he had never done before. And although he said he would never tile again, he went on to tile my mother's bathroom and his mother's kitchen and bathroom. He was very proud of his work.

His proudest achievement of all was his two girls. They had a great father and daughter relationship. He always helped them wit their homework. Education was very important to him. He was so proud when they both graduated from college. Sharn with her business degree and Shauna with her teaching degree. Martin wasn't afraid to show his love. He would always throw his arms around them and say, "I love you". He always had great craic when their friends came to the house. They could say anything to Martin and he could say anything to them. They all still say how much they miss him.

Martin had a great respect and love for his father Christy (deceased) and his mother Nancy. He loved his brothers Gerry and Kevin and his sisters Clare and Imelda. Martin was always very protective over his sisters. But most of al Martin was a great loving and caring husband. I was so blessed to have him. Martin was my husband, my best friend, my soulmate. He was the person I looked to for everything. He was a great provider in our home. Now I have found paying everything on my own very hard. It's a huge financial burden for me to pay bills, keep the house and to keep up the maintenance of the house.

Martin was great in our home. He could do a lot of the maintenance himself. He always kept the garden great and the outside was painted every year. I am now left to do it all which I find very hard. He loved making thins. He made sheds, picnic tables and many other things. If he saw something he liked, he would take a picture and then make it himself. I know he would have made a load of outdoor playthings for Martin Jay. Every Saturday when I was at work Martin would hoover the whole house for me.

There was nothing Martin wouldn't do. I never had to worry about the washing when I wasn't there - he would hang it out and take it in. Ironing was the only thing he couldn't do and refused to learn. I miss Martin so much from the silliest little thing to the biggest. Martin and I went everywhere together. If it was in the car or the lorry or the bikes, we did it.

I suffer very bad with my back since I was young. When I was 50 I was laid up for nine months with it. Only for Martin lifting and laying me down, putting me to bed and helping me get dressed. I couldn't drive so he drove me everywhere. Martin did everything for me, things I couldn't let anyone else do. I worry about this happening again and how I would cope without him. Martin was very loving, he didn't like to see me worry. I would worry about a lot of things but Martin would just laugh and make light of it and then I would laugh and feel ok.

Myself and Martin had great plans. We had a deposit on a new house, a smaller one. We had a buyer for ours and Martin had started to clear things out of the house. I have now had to back out of that as it was too much to take on on my own. We had decided on a new car for January. We were going to slow down not that Sharon and Shauna had moved out. We were on our own and started to enjoy this time of our lives as a couple again. We had planned to do more holidays and have more time for ourselves.

I always thought we would grow old together, looking after each other and enjoying our grandchildren like my parents and Martin's parents. The way it should be.

I miss Martin so much. I miss our chats that only couples have. I miss Martin saying, "I love you Grainne. You are the only one for me." I miss his big bear hugs. Now I live in a big house by myself. It's a very lonely life. There is a lot of things I find difficult to do since Martin died.

Losing Martin has changed my life. I am a different person than I once was. I am lonely. I am lost. It has effected my personality completely. My lack of concentration and patience had caused a huge strain on my relationships with the people I love most. I struggle all the time with sleep. Every time I close my eyes I think of the way Martin died. On the side of the road, alone without me or his family around him. I always wonder, did he cry out for me. This will haunt me for the rest of my life.

On September 28, 2015 my world as I knew it was shattered. I was happy with life with no money worries and the love of a good man. Now that's all gone. I don't know who I am any more because half of me is gone. The best part. It has been the most stressful and horrendous time for myself, Sharon and Shauna and other members of our family. I can't write down how I really feel because there could never be words to describe how I really feel. What we have endured over the past three years, the daily struggle of grief, confusion and pain has left me broken beyond words. Martin should not have died the way he did.

I go out to the graveyard every day to Martin. I still can't believe he is not coming home. I still think he will walk in the back door. My life now is all past memories. I loved Martin so much. Every day I get up I always say: "I am another day closer to you."