Mary’s killer dies just 10 weeks into life sentence
Depraved murderer Leonard hit by cancer
Forever in our hearts, she is deeply loved, sadly missed and will never be forgotten NICKY O’KEEFFE VICTIM MARY’S GRANDDAUGHTER
AN evil killer who set fire to a woman he became obsessed with has died – just weeks after being sentenced to life in prison.
Callous murderer Michael Leonard, 63, died after a battle with cancer at Mercy University Hospital in Cork on Tuesday.
It came 10 weeks after he was jailed for life for the gruesome murder of Mary O’keeffe in February 2021.
In a statement the Irish Prison Service said it could confirm the death of a person in custody at Cork Prison on February 27, adding that “next of kin have been notified”.
A spokesperson added: “All deaths in custody are investigated by the Irish Prison Service, the Inspector of Prisons and An Garda Siochana, where circumstances warrant. The cause of death is determined by the Coroner’s Office.”
Depraved Leonard, of Hillcrest, Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick was sentenced on December 14 to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to the murder of 72-year-old Mrs O’keeffe at a woodland at Doneraile, Co Cork on February 4, 2021.
The court heard Leonard arranged to meet Ms O’keeffe at the wooded area but within minutes of her arrival he threw two gallons of petrol into the car and set it on fire.
A postmortem showed that she was still alive when the fire started. The victim’s granddaughter Nicky O’keeffe cried as she told the court of her grandmother’s love of music and dancing, her generosity and kindness.
She said: “Mary O’keeffe will be forever in our hearts, she is deeply loved, sadly missed and will never be forgotten. We like to think she is happy, dancing in the sky.”
Mr Justice Paul Mcdermott described it as the “most horrific attack carried out by fire that led to this poor woman’s death”.
He added: “There has been a terrible loss inflicted on this family and I can only express my sincere condolences to them.” When he passed sentence there was loud clapping in the court from people who had known Ms O’keeffe. Detective Sgt James O’shea told Anne-marie Lawlor SC, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, that Ms O’keeffe lived in Mallow in Cork and was a widow at the time of her death. She had three sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Det Sgt O’shea said Ms O’keeffe came to know Leonard in 2016 as they both regularly went to dances. They formed a relationship for a time but in 2019 she made it clear she no longer wished to continue seeing him.
This “greatly upset the accused man”, Det Sgt O’shea said and communications between them that were discovered during the garda investigation suggested he was “emotionally manipulative” in making her remain in contact with him.