West Belfast woman appears in court accused of stabbing partner to death

By Q Radio news

A woman has been granted bail after appearing in court accused of stabbing her partner to death.

Appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from police custody, 31-year-old Julie Ann McIlwaine is charged with murdering James Joseph Crossley.

The charge arose after 38-year-old Mr Crossley sustained fatal stab wounds at McIwaine’s home at Filbert Drive in Dunmurry shortly before midnight on Tuesday evening.

Mr Crossley was taken to hospital but suffered a cardiac arrest on the way and was pronounced dead a short time later.

McIlwaine, an auxiliary nurse and mother of four, was arrested and interviewed during which she gave what DI Griffin said was “an open and honest account of what happened” and that what she said is “reflected and corroborated by the scene and police,” namely that Mr Crossley had sustained five stab wounds to the right side of his chest and one to his upper inner thigh.

Jim Crossley

The senior officer told the court that previously, McIlwaine had been deemed “high risk MARAC (Multi agency risk assessment conference).”

She said police opposed bail not on any of the statutory grounds such as risk of further offences or flight but on the grounds that McIlwaine was a risk to herself.

The court heard that during interviews, she told police that Mr Crossley had gone to bed telling her she had to “choose between him and her family” and as there is a “history of domestic violence,” she had been keeping their relationship a secret from her own family and social services.

Defence solicitor Philip Breen revealed that amongst the recorded incidents of domestic violence were allegations that Mr Crossley had physically assaulted and choked her, faced a trial later this month accused of actual bodily harm and during a holiday in Spain, had been arrested and temporarily remanded for breaking down a door and choking her.

He claimed those proceedings were withdrawn when McIlwaine was “put under pressure” not to travel back to Spain. 

Mr Breen outlined one incident where McIlwaine had locked him in a room and fled but he battered the door down, drove after he and rammed her car.

He said Crossley was convicted at Belfast Magistrates Court last October of assaulting her and was given a nine month restraining order.

On the day she stabbed him, Mr Crossley had ordered her to contact the PPS to say that she was withdrawing her evidence in the upcoming trial.

Mr Breen said the two year relationship, which she had kept secret, was one of “control and oppression.”

Having heard from McIlwaine’s sister that she could live with her with the sister acting as surety, Dep. District Judge Chris Holmes said he would grant bail.

“It’s not for me to make a decision or judgement on the facts,” said DJ Holmes, “she has been the victim, for a considerable period of time, of significant domestic violence and that has ended in the death of one of the people in that relationship.”

He said while the police were to be “commended” for highlighting their concerns about the risk of McIlwaine taking her own life, there were no other grounds of objection so “I will grant bail.”

He ordered that McIlwaine be freed kn her own bail of £500 with a surety and a curfew and a complete ban on alcohol because as he told McIlwaine, “I don’t want you sitting getting drunk and getting morbid.”

Initially, the prosecution indicated an intention to appeal McIlwaine’s release but following a short break, the pps lawyer said they were not going to do so.

The scene of the fatal stabbing in Dunmurry