The parents of a young woman who was strangled to death by her boyfriend have said that they will never forget what was inflicted upon their “beautiful daughter” and will never recover from her loss.
Natalie McGuinness, 23, was killed by Oisin Conroy, who “believed he was in The Matrix” and that a voice came into his head saying that he had to kill his girlfriend.
Conroy, 34, of St Joseph’s Terrace, Boyle, Co Roscommon, was found not guilty by reason of insanity earlier this month and was committed to the Central Mental Hospital. Conroy was charged with murdering Ms McGuinness, at The Mews, Mail Coach Road in Sligo on October 28, 2015.
A victim impact statement from Ms McGuinness’s parents was read by Tara Burns, SC, for the prosecution, in the Central Criminal Court yesterday.
Catherine McGuinness, the victim’s mother, said that they felt “emotionally battered and bruised as parents”.
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She said in her statement: “A parent should never have to receive the devastating news that their child has died whatever the circumstances, but we can never forget what was inflicted upon our beautiful daughter Natalie before her young sweet life came to an end.
“We cannot believe that we will never get to hear her voice or see her again. Our hearts suffer from the deepest wounds from which they will never recover. I have not only lost a loving daughter but also a best friend. I miss her phone calls and text messages. It took me a while to come to terms with the silence of the phone and the home.”
The court was told that Natalie and her mother had had long chats in the car. “Our last serious chat was about Karen Buckley [who was murdered in Scotland in 2015] and Natalie asked how could any parent cope with the news that their daughter was taken from them at the hands of another human being . . . I couldn’t answer her truthfully that day and to be honest I don’t think I still can,” she said.
“Even after 19 months, we don’t believe this is real and happening to our family.”
Two consultant forensic psychiatrists gave evidence during the trial that Conroy was suffering from schizophrenia and would have been unable to refrain from his actions. They both said he met the requirements for the special verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.