Man convicted Eamonn O'Hanlon's murder to serve 12 years in jail

Convicted killer Frank McAlinden who murdered Eamonn O'Hanlon "in a fight over a woman'' has been given a minimum of 12 years in prison before becoming eligible for release.The 26-year-old, formerly of Bell Inn, Cross House in Shrewsbury, England, is currently serving a mandatory life sentence which was handed down after he pleaded guilty O'Hanlon's murder last year.During a tariff ruling on Friday, Mr Justice O'Hara said the death of Mr O'Hanlon was "tragic and senseless''.

The murder happened between the late evening of Saturday May 20, 2022 and the early hours of Sunday May 21, 2022.O'Hanlon, 35, had only been released from Maghaberry prison just a few days before he was stabbed to death in Gilford, Co Down."Shortly after he was released from prison he learned that his former partner was in a relationship with the defendant,'' said Mr Justice O'Hara."Mr O'Hanlon and the defendant did not know each other, were effectively strangers and there was no history of animosity between them.''He said O'Hanlon and a friend had spent much of the evening on May 20 "drinking heavily'' and moving between Gilford and Banbridge where more alcohol was consumed."During the course of the evening Mr O'Hanlon exchanged text messages with his ex-partner which led to an argument. He said he was coming over to her house in Hill Street, Gilford, but she told him not to do so,'' said the senior judge."Mr O'Hanlon was in a taxi with his male friend just after 2 am on May 21 heading back from Banbridge to Gilford. His friend witnessed a phone call by Mr O'Hanlon and heard him say in relation to McAlinden: 'I am going to kill this b*****d.''When they arrived at his ex-partner's house, Mr O'Hanlon ran towards her property but within seconds he returned to his friend, saying: "Do me a favour. Phone me an ambulance. I've been stabbed.''According to eyewitnesses, Mr O'Hanlon's ex-partner had come out of her home and argued with him. Before leaving her home she had told McAlinden to stay inside.Said Mr Justice O'Hara: "Sadly, he ignored that direction. Instead he came out behind her and fatally brought a kitchen knife with him."There appears to have been an angry confrontation between Mr O'Hanlon and his ex-partner. He is reported to have raised his fists in a clenched fashion. She told him to go away but he replied: 'Get him out here for fair digs'."Without any more physical confrontation, McAlinden appeared from behind her and stabbed Mr O'Hanlon in the left side of the chest. Mr O'Hanlon stumbled back and a number of people in the area came to his aid and an ambulance was called at 2.52 am.''The victim was taken to Craigavon Area Hospital and was pronounced dead at 3.44 am.The court heard McAlinden went back into his girlfriend's home and used bleach to clean the 12 cm bladed knife in the sink before fleeing the area on foot.As he fled towards Craigavon, he discarded a pair of shorts he had been wearing during the stabbing.Said Mr Justice O'Hara: "It was clear that Mr McAlinden quickly realised Mr O'Hanlon was dead and must have also realised police would be looking for him.''At 11am on Sunday, May 21, the defendant walked into Lurgan police station and stated he had murdered Eamonn O'Hanlon and was arrested. After caution he replied: "I'm sorry. I didn't' mean for any of this to happen.''During police interviews, McAlinden made out a case of self defence, saying that he armed himself with the knife as he felt intimidated by Mr O'Hanlon and wanted to "scare him off''.A post mortem report stated that the deceased died from a single wound to the heart.The judge said Mr O'Hanlon was "so drunk he was over four times the legal limit to drive''.Mr Justice O'Hara made reference to victim impact statements from Mr O'Hanlon's mother, brother and sister saying they spoke "movingly of their shock and sense of loss and the effect not just his death but the whole criminal process has had on them''."Life changing events such as this murder bring with them sadness and mourning for years to come, a point eloquently made in those statements,'' the judge remarked.Saying McAlinden was "no stranger to the court'', Mr Justice O'Hara noted he had 32 previous conviction which included entries for robbery, thefts, assaults on police and threats to damage property.At the time of the murder, McAlinden was out on bail for an arson attack on a car belonging to a witness who was due to give evidence against his father at Birmingham Crown Court.A pre-sentence report compiled by the Probation Service said McAlinden has addiction issues with drugs and alcohol and had failed two drugs tests in prison this year. The report assessed him as a danger to the public in the future.Mr Justice O'Hara said: "This tragic and senseless death could have been avoided if any of those involved had behaved differently and better."The arrival of Mr O'Hanlon at his ex-partner's home was provocative but nothing needed to flow from it. Even if there was a row or confrontation, the defendant did not need to get involved and certainly did not need to bring a knife to the scene."That is the unjustifiable catastrophic action which caused the death of Mr O'Hanlon."The defendant had multiple options none of which involved going out and stabbing Mr O'Hanlon. Carrying a knife to the scene of a drunken quarrel and then using it to kill someone is simply indefensible.''Mr Justice O'Hara added that at the end of the 12 year tariff sentence, it would be up to the Parole Commissioners to decide whether McAlinden still posed a danger to the public.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.