A convicted rapist who murdered his bride to be by repeatedly kicking, stamping and putting her head towards a ground has been jailed for all times.
Rory O’Connor, 54, subjected his accomplice Diane Nichol, 57, to a “savage” assault at her home in Trevelyan Terrace in Hawick, Borders, on August 9, 2021.
The Excessive Courtroom in Edinburgh heard how O’Connor had been heard shouting at Diane on the day earlier than she died. A witness heard O’Connor inform her: “You’re ineffective, you don’t clear, you don’t make my lunch, you higher make it tomorrow.”
The next day, a neighbour of Diane heard banging and shouting coming from her flat.
Prosecutor Craig Murray instructed the courtroom: “A downstairs neighbour heard the accused’s raised voice and banging noises all day on August 9 2021. The neighbour couldn't hear the deceased’s voice.
“The disturbance intensified within the night when the accused’s voice grew to become louder.
“Between 7.30pm and eight.15pm, the accused stated ‘I’m not going to sleep with you then’
“At round 8.25pm, the neighbour heard three to 5 bangs in fast succession coming from the ground of the bed room of the locus.
“They have been noticeably louder than the banging the neighbour heard earlier within the day.
“The accused shouted ‘stand up stand up or I'll harm you once more.’ There have been additional banging noises.
“A feminine could possibly be heard whimpering and moaning and the neighbour referred to as the police at 8.57pm.”
The courtroom heard how when law enforcement officials arrived, the accused let the police in and stated ‘Diane get up, come on stand up.
Officers noticed blood stains and a big clump of Diane’s hair mendacity beside her as she lay face down on the ground.
The officers and paramedics tried to avoid wasting Diane’s life however she later died that night.
Police arrested O’Connor and later instructed him what occurred to her.
The courtroom heard he replied: “What occurred, how did she die?”
The story emerged after O’Connor, a prisoner of HMP Edinburgh, pleaded responsible to murdering Diane earlier than Lord Beckett.
Mr Murray instructed the courtroom that O’Connor had been given a ten 12 months jail time period after being convicted in Dublin in 2002 on expenses of rape and sexual assault.
Nevertheless, he had been launched in 2008 and got here to dwell within the Scottish Borders the place he labored as a fishing gillie on the Tweed.
Mr Murray instructed the courtroom that forensic officers carried out an examination of Diane’s property following the assault.
He stated they discovered blood stains the ground of the bed room lounge and loo ground. Blood was additionally discovered on bedsheets within the bed room.
Clumps of hair have been additionally discovered within the bed room which had been “forcibly pulled from the deceased’s cranium”.
Mr Murray additionally instructed Lord Beckett that a put up mortem was carried out on Diane.
Pathologists discovered that she had chest and stomach accidents.
He added: “The deceased sustained various chest and stomach accidents which in fruits with ensuing respiration difficulties and blood loss was ample to trigger loss of life.
“The accidents have been brought on by a number of blunt pressure impacts to her torso and stomach. The findings are typical of what could be seen with stamps and, or kicks.”
The advocate depute stated Diane sustained fractured ribs and had bruising.
She additionally sustained a uncommon liver damage as a consequence of being assaulted.
He added: “The transaction of the liver.. is a signficant inner damage which might be usually seen in individuals who have fallen from a big top or concerned in a street visitors collision.
“The transection of the liver is an damage very hardly ever seen even in excessive velocity street visitors collisions.
“The interval of survival from such a liver damage is prone to be a couple of minutes.”
He additionally stated that medics thought that Diane could have been mendacity face down on the bottom when O’Connor stamped on her.
The courtroom additionally heard that when O’Connor was taken to Hawick Police Workplace, he thought she was nonetheless alive.
Mr Murray stated: “While within the police van on arrival at Hawick Police Workplace, the accused made various statements to the impact that he nonetheless believed she was alive they usually had an argument earlier. he repeatedly inquired after her.
“The law enforcement officials repeatedly knowledgeable the accused he was underneath warning.
“The accused was knowledgeable of the loss of life of the deceased. He replied: “what occurred, how did she die?” He appeared upset.”
Defence advocate Mark Stewart QC instructed the courtroom that O’Connor and Diane have been in a long run relationship with one another.
They each deliberate to marry in August 2021 - however the ceremony was placed on maintain due the pandemic and paperwork points.
Mr Stewart added: “As your lordship has heard, the connection was one characterised by each events being, i believe it's honest to say, closely reliant on alcohol.
“In drink, it's true, arguments did occur and disagreements came about however they have been usually and quickly handled and events moved on.
“He didn’t perceive that something of the magnitude which occurred had certainly occurred and he believed Miss Nichol was maybe injured however not useless.
“I believe it's honest to say that he was witnessed by police to be shocked by the implications of what he now accepts he had been liable for when police instructed him of the loss of life.”
Mr Stewart stated his shopper pleaded responsible and wished to apologise to Diane’s household for what he had performed to her. Lord Beckett instructed O’Connor that the one sentence accessible to the courtroom was life imprisonment.
The decide stated O’Connor could be launched solely when the parole board have been glad he not posed a menace to public security.
Passing sentence, he instructed O’Connor: “Mr O’Connor, you've pleaded responsible to murdering your accomplice Diane Nichol. “For homicide, the sentence is fastened by regulation - you'll be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I need to additionally take account of the truth that the crime was aggravated by the truth that it was dedicated towards your accomplice. She trusted you and was entitled to count on your safety and assist.
“However as a substitute you inflicted sustained, brutal violence inflicting appalling accidents which inevitably proved deadly. I take account of these concerns in deciding on the punishment half.
“On account of your actions, Diane Nichol misplaced her life at 57 and her household have been left devastated and can by no means be the identical once more.
“I've learn shifting statements from her mom, her sister and her daughter explaining the affect of their loss and the grief upon them and the broader household.
“There was profound penalties for his or her well being and properly being. The courtroom should do what it will possibly to discourage such savage home violence of the sort you inflicted in your accomplice.
“Having regard to the entire circumstances, however on your plea of responsible the punishment half for the cost of homicide would have been 18 years.
“As it's the punishment half is 15 years and 6 months.”
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