Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
‘CONTROLLED,7 DEGRADED & MANIPULATED’
Court told wife abused over sex life by husband accused of murder
details of the circumstantial case against the accused, she added:
Staff at the marina told Mckinney to go to the office to obtain two more life jackets
He allegedly refused to accept being told by his wife she didn’t want to go on the boat trip
He gave different reasons for the trip, including an Easter holiday, early wedding anniversary, surprise for the children and celebration of a new job
Mckinney allegedly provided varying accounts of how his wife came to be in the water – seeing her fall in, and hearing a splash, before discovering her in the lough, and
He was allegedly advised to moor at a different jetty on Devenish Island.
The court also heard mobile phones and computers seized from Mckinney led to the recovery of Skype chats, sex videos and sexual images involving the defendant, his wife and other unknown individuals.
Mrs Mckay said one chat log from 2014 included more than 1,000 entries and took place while Mckinney was either separated from or moving away from his family.
She claimed they depicted him as being verbally abusive towards his wife about their sex life, blaming her for their separation and then
DESCRIBING LU NA
encouraging her to take part in activities.
The barrister said: “This is eventually agreed by Lu Na, saying she will change and do whatever Mckinney wishes if he will come back to the family.
“From reading the entirety of this chat it can be said Mckinney is displaying controlling, degrading treatment toward Lu Na and manipulating Lu Na to the extent that regardless how she answers or agrees to Mckinney’s request the goalposts are continually moved.”
Defence counsel Martin Mccann claimed the witness evidence against his client involved “second or third-hand hearsay” and insisted the death was an accident.
With detectives still to speak to the accused’s children, Sir Declan confirmed Mckinney will not be allowed out of custody to live close to them.
Adjourning the case, he said: “I’m minded in principle to releasing this man on bail when a suitable bail address has been found.”