Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EAMONN MAGEE JNR KILLER JAILED FOR 14 YRS
EAMONN MAGEE JNR KILLER GETS 14 YRS FOR STAB ATTACK HORROR Father’s pain after son’s murderer is sentenced for brutal knifing
A MURDERER who stabbed his estranged wife’s new boyfriend to death in an unprovoked and brutal attack will serve a minimum of 14 years in prison.
Mr Justice Treacy said it was his view Orhan Koca armed himself in advance then went to his former family home in Twinbrook, West Belfast, with the intention of killing Eamonn Magee Junior. Describing 22-year-old Mr Magee as a “promising young boxer and student”, Mr Justice Treacy said Koca was motivated by jealousy, and branded his version of events as both untrue and self-serving. The father of three, a Turkish national who at the time of the murder was effectively homeless, was told he will serve a minimum of 14 years of his life sentence before he is considered eligible for release by the Parole Commission. Speaking afterwards, the murdered man’s father – former world champion boxer Eamonn Magee Snr – said: “No sentence imposed will ever bring back my son.” After sentence was passed at Belfast Crown Court, the young man’s loved ones – some of whom wore T-shirts bearing his face – hugged each other as they left court. Speaking outside, his grieving parents Eamonn Snr and Mary Magee thanked all those who have supported the family over the two years since the murder. A statement by the family, which was read by Eamonn Snr’s brother Noel, said: “We would like to express our deepest gratitude to all those in Ireland and around the world. “You have shown us so much love and compassion as we struggled to deal with our loss. “We have been astounded by the acts of kindness we have encountered in these dark times, often from the most surprising sources. “We have been hugely comforted by how the community has come to our side. It is very much appreciated by us all and thank you for all of your support.” Koca had consistently denied involvement in the fatal stabbing in the early hours of May 30, 2015. However, he pleaded guilty to murder moments before he was due to go on trial at Belfast Crown Court. Last month Koca told a probation officer that after arriving at his estranged wife’s home at Summerhill Drive, he claimed he saw a light on upstairs. The killer said he believed an intruder was in the house, that he went round to the back garden where he picked up a broken blade from a pair of shears, and when he saw a man coming out the back he panicked, lunged at him and stabbed him once in the leg. He told probation at this point, he lost self-control and cannot recall the sequence of events – but after the attack he fled the scene and ran to Beckett’s Bar, discarding the weapon on the way. Branding these claims as “wholly implausible”, the judge said: “I am satisfied this was a pre-meditated murder which was both brutal and sustained, and where the intention was to take life.”
INJURIES
Mr Justice Treacy spoke of the multiple injuries inflicted on Mr Magee – six stab wounds in total, two of which were to the chest and therefore fatal. The incident occurred in the rear garden of Ms Ward’s home. The mother of Koca’s three children, she, was estranged from her husband and was in new relationship with Mr Magee after meeting him at the gym where he worked as a personal trainer. The couple – who at the time of the murder had been in a relationship for around two months – ordered pizza. When the engineering student stepped out to check on the delivery at around 2.30am as the driver couldn’t find the right address, he was
attacked by Koca, who had just finished a shift at Beckett’s Bar. Belfast Crown Court heard while the killer claimed he used the blade of a broken shear he found in the back garden, it is thought the murder weapon was a large kitchen knife which went missing from the pub shortly before the attack. Mr Justice Treacy said Koca was “very possessive” of his estranged wife and was an “aggressive man” if he thought Ms Ward was attracting the attention of other men. The judge also pointed out following their split, Koca would check up on what his ex was doing via Facebook. He even set up a fake profile in a bid to monitor Ms Ward and Mr Magee. Telling the court “whatever sentence the court imposes, it cannot undo the destruction of the promising young life of Eamonn Magee”, the judge spoke of the impact the murder has had on his family, friends and loved ones, paying tribute to the “complete decorum” they displayed during court proceedings.