Killer who knifed bodybuilder to death gets 14 years
A MAN who stabbed a former Mr Scotland bodybuilding champion to death was jailed for more than 14 years yesterday.
Michael O’Hanlon died from massive blood loss after being stabbed four times by Steven Kirkwood.
Kirkwood, 44, was originally charged with murder but a jury unanimously convicted him of the reduced charge of culpable homicide under provocation.
The High Court in Glasgow had heard the killing was sparked by abusive texts exchanged between Kirkwood and his ex-wife Eileen, who was due to marry Mr O’Hanlon, 45, of Irvine, Ayrshire.
Jailing Kirkwood for 14 and a half years, Judge Lady Rae told him: ‘It is frankly astonishing to see adults behaving in this way. The consequences were tragic, leading to the death of a much-loved man.
‘What is clear is you challenged Mr O’Hanlon to fight. You set the place and the time. You went armed with a lethal weapon and the fight lasted no more than 30 to 60 seconds.’
In court Kirkwood claimed he had acted in self-defence after being assaulted by Mr O’Hanlon and his friend Forbes Cowan, 52, a former World’s Strongest Man competitor, during the incident at HK Autotek garage in Stevenson, Ayrshire, last July.
In evidence Eileen O’Hanlon, who changed her name from Kirkwood after the killing, said that as her wedding day approached, she and her fiancé were sent abusive texts by Kirkwood.
She admitted she also sent vile texts making comments about Kirkwood’s new partner. It led to Kirkwood issuing a Facebook challenge to Mr O’Hanlon inviting him to meet him.
Garage owner Ian Hamilton, 40, from Saltcoats, Ayrshire, said he saw the killer with a large Rambostyle knife during the attack. He said Kirkwood had walked in, adding: ‘About a minute later Mr O’Hanlon, who was 6ft and 17 st, turned up with 6ft 4in Mr Cowan.
‘Mr Cowan entered the office first and requested for Mr Kirkwood to come outside. There were words exchanged... Michael charged through the door with his head down and came at Steven. It was a wrestle for five seconds.
‘Michael backed up out the office stumbling backwards. At that point I saw Steven had a knife in his right hand. I saw blood on the entrance door to the office, blood on the knife.’
Mr Hamilton said Kirkwood stood looking at Mr O’Hanlon for a few minutes then walked out.
Kirkwood said Mr Cowan and Mr O’Hanlon were raining blows on him and said he found a knife and swung it behind him.
Outside court the victim’s niece Haylie O’Hanlon said: ‘Steven Kirkwood is an evil man. I hope he rots in jail for the rest of his life.’
As Kirkwood was led away, he mouthed to his partner Martine Greenan: ‘I love you. I’m sorry.’