No evidence killer abused by man he murdered with axe
HAMILL DIED IN CRASH AFTER ATTACKING PAEDO
DETECTIVES probing the axe murder of a convicted paedophile have found no evidence that he had sexually abused his killer as a child.
Sources have told The Star that gardai have spent more than two months probing the relationship between killer Kieran Hamill and his victim Chris Mooney – but have found nothing to suggest any historical sexual abuse.
“There were no complaints to gardai and we have not found any relatives or friends who were confided in,” a source said. “There is no indication of a history of sexual abuse between them.”
And that means gardai have not found a motive for the brutal murder and are still baffled by it.
Sources say sexual abuse was an early line of inquiry after Hamill (37) beat sex offender Mooney to death with an axe at on December 1.
Hamill, from Culloville on Armagh’s border with Monaghan, attacked Mooney (60) at his home in Broomfield, Castleblayney – before he died minutes later when he was accidentally hit by a car as he fled the scene.
The Star has established that forensics from the scene, as well as the evidence of Mooney’s brother who disturbed the attack, has led gardai to conclude Hamill was the killer.
It’s understood gardai are now preparing a file for the coroner as Hamill is dead and there are no other suspects.
The scene was so bloody it was initially suspected Mooney – who served jail for the repeated sexual abuse of a boy almost 20 years ago – had been stabbed, but it is now known he was beaten to death with an axe.
Road
Hamill was disturbed by Mooney’s brother Peter and shouted “he had it coming” before fleeing. He ran from the scene and was himself killed as he ran along on a border road – away from Castleblayney and towards Culloville.
He was struck by a car on the Ballynacarry
Bridge at around 6.45am – 25 minutes after the murderer was disturbed at Mooney’s house.
Sources say he was running in the middle of the road on a bend and the driver of the car in the accident had no chance to avoid him.
Hamill was before the courts on several charges — including one of assaulting a garda — when he died. He was accused of attacking the garda in Dundalk, Co Louth on May 30 — the same time he allegedly assaulted a woman.
Mooney had become a recluse in recent years. Gardai now fear they may never establish a motive for the killing – and that Hamill has taken his secrets to the grave.