Mother of domestic murder victim calls for helpline for people with homicidal thoughts

Maria Dempsey says "there's no shame in having thoughts of harming people, but there is shame in murdering somebody." Picture: RollingNews.ie 

The mother of a domestic violence victim has called for a helpline to be set up for people who are having "intrusive or homicidal" thoughts to be able to talk about them "without feeling shame".

Maria Dempsey's daughter Alicia Brough was just 20 years old when she was stabbed to death in Limerick by John Geary in 2010.

Alicia lost her life trying to save her friend Sarah Hines, who Mr Geary murdered along with his five-month-old daughter Amy and her three-year-old brother Reece.

Speaking on Radio Kerry, Ms Dempsey said that if there was somewhere for people to talk openly about homicidal thoughts, it might make a difference to that person and prevent them from acting.

"I have this thought that let's start talking about homicidal and murderous thoughts, thoughts of harm," she said. "They're normal.

"If you've been bullied at school, you'd have thought about wanting to take revenge on the person that hurt you know.

"Those are all very normal, it becomes abnormal when it becomes intrusive and when it becomes a plan, and then when they feel that they can't go back."

Maria Dempsey's daughter Alicia Brough was just 20 years old when she was stabbed to death in Limerick by John Geary in 2010.

Ms Dempsey said the important thing is for people to be able to talk openly without feeling guilt "because there's no shame in having thoughts of harming people, but there is shame in murdering somebody."

"I really think that maybe we should have a helpline where people can independently ring, and say, 'help me, I'm having intrusive thoughts. I need to get rid of these horrible thoughts that I am having' without feeling shame."

Ms Dempsey's comments come in the wake of the latest familial tragedy in Lixnaw, Co Kerry, where Eileen O’Sullivan and son Jamie were allegedly shot dead by partner and father Mossie O’Sullivan, who then took his own life.

"Nothing can save those who have gone by now, but their lives can save other lives. They are relevant to saving others."

She has called for relevant authorities to conduct domestic homicide reviews of cases and talk to people who may have been in contact with the victims and the perpetrators to see if there was a way that these tragedies could be prevented in the future.

Ms Dempsey said there is currently a review taking place, which was introduced by the Justice Minister in May 2019, about whether such reviews would be carried out in Ireland but it has not yet been decided more than two years later.

Ms Dempsey's comments come in the wake of the latest familial tragedy in Lixnaw, Co Kerry, where Eileen O’Sullivan and son Jamie were allegedly shot dead by partner and father Mossie O’Sullivan, who then took his own life. Picture: Larry Cummins

"If we take Portugal, England, Wales, Norway, some counties in America, after a domestic homicide, they do a domestic homicide review," she said.

"These are really interesting, because ... they talked to family, they talked to friends they talk to any services that victims and perpetrators, may have been in contact with.

"You heard about the superintendent's asking for people to be in contact with even insignificant thoughts that people have had since.

"When we take all these insignificant little thoughts, and we put them together, we get a much bigger picture of what was going on."

Speaking about her daughter's case, Ms Dempsey said that John Geary had told a number of people in a pub that he was going to kill Sarah Hines who had recently ended their relationship.

"How many families now are trying to put together, trying to find answers to what happened," she said. "Could, could anything have saved them?"

"Nothing can save those who have gone by now, but their lives can save other lives. They are relevant to saving others."