Man murdered his wife with samurai sword and told son: 'You're next'

William Eagers was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering his wife Jean on Father's Day 2020

Jean Eagers, 57, died of her wounds at her home in Clonsilla, Dublin, on the morning of June 21, 2020.

A man murdered his wife of 34 years "on an ordinary Sunday morning" by thrusting a samurai sword into her 16 times before turning to their son and telling him "you're next", the Central Criminal Court heard on Friday.

Dillon Eagers told the court he had tried in vain to save his mother Jean as she was horrifically murdered by his father William in their home, and now suffers constant night terrors and has undergone hours of therapy as a result.

Murder-accused William Eagers told gardaí he could not recollect what had happened during the attack on Father's Day 2020 and claimed he "lost his memory and blacked out".

Sentencing judge Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted the "horrific circumstances" of the killing and said no child should be put in the position where they see their father murder their mother "in circumstances that can only be described as terrible".

The judge refused to backdate Eagers' sentence to when he went into custody three years ago, stating this matter had been resolved at a "very very late stage in the proceedings". 

She added: "I note the family's victim impact statements and the distress that the past three years has caused to them. The court is aware this is an aggravating element for victims and families in cases such as this".

The testimonies were heard as part of three emotional victim impact statements read on Friday to the Central Criminal Court, where William Eagers was sentenced to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murdering his wife Jean.

Apology

Defence counsel Sean Guerin SC, for Eagers, said his client wanted to apologise to his family for "the horrific acts" he committed that day and convey his deep sense of shame and remorse. "He loves his wife and doesn't know why he did what he did," he added.

Eagers, 62, appeared at the court on Friday for his sentence hearing, having pleaded guilty earlier this month to the murder of Jean Eagers in their home at Willow Wood Grove in Clonsilla, north Dublin, on June 21, 2020.

Mother-of-two Ms Eagers, 57, died of her wounds at the house in Willow Wood Grove estate on the morning of June 21. A previous hearing of the case heard a family member raised the alarm on the day and that the Garda Armed Support Unit forced entry to the house following a stand-off where Jean Eagers was discovered with serious injuries.

Eagers, a former export operations manager and part-time taxi driver, had been charged with murder and the production of a samurai sword while committing the offence in the course of a dispute.

Ms Justice Ring sentenced the defendant to the mandatory term of life imprisonment for murder. She noted his guilty plea was entered on March 10, 10 days before his trial was due to take place. She did not backdate his life sentence and said it would commence from March 10, 2023. The court heard the defendant has been in custody since June 21, 2020.

After sentencing William Eagers, Ms Justice Ring said: "I note the family's victim impact statements and the distress that the past three years has caused to them. This matter was resolved at a very very late stage in the proceedings. The court is aware this is an aggravating element for victims and families in cases such as this. I won't give him credit for time spent in custody for the past three years. He will commence his sentence from the date of his plea on March 10".

The judge added the court had heard the "horrific circumstances" of the incident and in particular the position Dillon Eagers had been put in. She said no child should be put in the position where they see their father murder their mother "in circumstances that can only be described as terrible".

She said Ms Eagers right to life had been taken away from her in "inexplicable circumstances" and that her children and her grandson had lost their "maternal stability" and the "lifeline a mother and grandmother brings to a family".

Victim impact statements

The deceased's daughter Michele Connolly cried in the witness box as she told the court that her mum was her best friend and they shared a relationship that most people could only wish for. 

"She was my rock, a strong caring and warm person that made people want to be in her company. She always knew what to say and was always right, I don't have that comfort anymore," she said.

Ms Connolly said her family home was always a safe place and was a "normal, family home". She said she had two great parents that loved her but on June 21 that was "ripped" from her.

She said she was 14 weeks' pregnant with her first child at the time and that day was supposed to be a happy day as it was Father's Day. She said she learned about an accident in her parent's house and "arrived to chaos and so much fear".

She added: "I could never have expected it to be dad, a dad is meant to protect you from pain. I couldn't believe it was real. It is hard to put into words how much it has changed my life and destroyed it. I am heartbroken, sad, worry more and suffer from anxiety".

She continued: "I'm broken and shattered and my heart hurts with the loss of my mam. At night I go to sleep and I don't want to wake up the next morning. Living this life without her is too painful, my heart aches with the pain".

Addressing her father in the statement, Ms Connolly said: "I don't think you will ever comprehend how much you have destroyed me. I worry how my little brother processes that day. You have robbed so much from happy newlyweds and the excitement of a new baby. You have robbed us of our support system. Trying to navigate loss and grief when becoming a mother is so difficult".

She said becoming a mother was meant to be such a happy time but it had been ruined by her father's selfish actions. "My mam was so excited to become a nanny and you took that from her. It kills me that my son will never know my mam. My son will never get to experience her warm hugs and kisses. Life is hard now, family occasions are filled with pain and sorrow."

Dillon Eagers said in his statement he witnessed his mother being brutally murdered nearly three years ago by a person that was supposed to protect her; "my dad". "When I was trying to get into the room to save my mum, he looked at me and said 'you're next'."

Dillon said he has constant night terrors, undergoes hours of therapy and the incident had ruined relationships with his family and friends. He said he has lost the only home he has ever known. 

"One of the hardest things is to see my sister become a mother without her mother by her side," he said. He called his mother an amazing person and said she was someone who always gave to others and wanted nothing in return. "I love you mam, I miss you so much," he said.

The deceased's brother, Ronnie O'Farrell, said in his statement the defendant had shown no remorse for almost three years and had chosen to prolong the agony for his family and the deceased's family. 

"Father's Day is to be enjoyed with our families until I got a call at 1.25pm to say that Jean had been murdered by her husband. Jean's home should have been a place of safety and comfort but you have destroyed that. 

"Her life was taken by the one person she should have been able to trust in the world, you, her husband. Most of all, you have robbed the world of a beautiful woman, our heartache will never end because of you".