A DUBLIN man who stabbed his partner seven times with a kitchen knife in their apartment has been jailed for life for her murder.
another of two Jennifer Poole (24) was fatally assaulted at her home on Melville Drive, Finglas, on April 17 last year.
Her partner of about a year, Gavin Murphy, 30, pleaded guilty to murder earlier this month.
The defendant, from Coultry Drive in Ballymun, Dublin, was given the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court this afternoon.
Evidence was provided that Ms Poole was observed with numerous injuries throughout the relationship and that Murphy had a prior conviction for assaulting a former partner and drawing a knife.
The court heard that they had been in a relationship since the previous May and that there were “ongoing difficulties”.
Detective Sergeant Damien Mangan told Dean Kelly SC, Prosecution, that friends and family noticed bruising on Ms Poole’s face and body in the months, weeks and days before the murder.
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Jennifer Poole’s son and daughter were four and seven years old at the time of her murder.
On the day of the incident, a neighbor of Ms. Poole said she heard high-pitched screams “like never before” coming from the apartment and heard the victim yell “stop, please don’t do this” over and over again.
When he went to the apartment, he looked through the mailbox and saw Murphy holding a kitchen knife in his hand and appeared to be taking it out of Mrs. Poole’s hand.
The witness told the Gardaí that he saw a bloodstain on the floor, that Murphy took a white towel to wipe his hand or knife, and that he went to a bedroom to get dressed.
The witness told the Gardaí that she yelled at him to let her in, but he told her to “fuck you”.
He then fled out the back balcony before emergency services were alerted.
An investigation was launched and when Murphy met gardaí at his uncle’s house more than an hour later, he said there was an argument at Mrs Poole’s apartment.
He claimed that a knife was taken from him, that he took it in his hand and that “in a fraction of a second” he used it.
She also told the Gardaí that she “passed out”, that she “couldn’t even look at her” and then left and went to Poppintree Park, Ballymun.
In a prepared statement to the Gardaí after his arrest, he took responsibility for the murder, but added that he did not plan to kill Mrs Poole and that he “really loved her”.
Murphy also told Gardaí: “I’m so sorry and I didn’t want this to happen.”
He was later charged and earlier this month pleaded guilty to murder.
The court was told that Ms Poole suffered seven stab wounds and the cause of death was bleeding and shock from multiple stab wounds.
Detective Sgt. Mangan confirmed that Murphy had 13 prior convictions, including for having a phone in custody, assault causing damage, robbery, production of an article and criminal damage.
The court was told that Murphy assaulted a former partner and his mother and pulled a knife during the incident.
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Jennifer Poole’s funeral in Finglas, Dublin last year. Photo: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
David Poole, the victim’s brother, said his two sons were “stolen” from their mother and their lives changed forever.
Mrs. Poole’s son and daughter were four and seven years old at the time of her murder.
Poole said her sister couldn’t have been a more loving mother. She claimed that she did everything for her children and now all they have are memories of her beautiful mother.
Jason Poole also gave a statement saying his sister was “beautiful inside and out” and had a “heart of gold.”
She said hearing about the murder felt like a nightmare and that her children had to be told their mother was killed “by a man she didn’t love anymore.”
Jason Poole also said that no punishment can compare to the pain the defendant caused them. He said the family is haunted by the fact that Poole spent his last minutes on earth “with the worst of humanity”.
Murphy sat with his head down for most of the hearing.
Judge Paul Burns said it was “yet another case of a violent attack on a young woman” by a male partner with fatal consequences.
Offering his condolences to Mrs Poole’s family, he imposed a life sentence for the “vicious” murder.
Reference-www.independent.ie