Prosecutors seek retrial in stabbing of abusive partner case

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 14:02 · Archive

Prosecutors are seeking a retrial after a woman's murder conviction was overturned on appeal.

Prosecutors are seeking a retrial after a woman's murder conviction for killing her abusive partner was overturned on appeal earlier this month. Julie Ann McIlwaine was convicted of murder in 2025 but had that conviction quashed following the appeal.

McIlwaine admitted killing James Joseph Crossley but denied murder, claiming she suffered a temporary loss of control as a victim of domestic abuse. Her defence team has asked the court of appeal to consider substituting a verdict of manslaughter instead. Crossley, 38, was stabbed repeatedly in the chest and abdomen as he slept at McIlwaine's home in Dunmurry in March 2022. The pair's relationship had been marked by emotional manipulation and coercive control.

At the time of his death, Crossley was on bail for an alleged assault against McIlwaine and subject to a restraining order. During police interviews, McIlwaine said events became overwhelming and she considered taking her own life. She described taking a knife from the kitchen and stabbing her sleeping partner after moving their young child from the bed.

McIlwaine, who has been serving a minimum 12-year jail term, remains in custody in Hydebank Wood. The court will deal with the case again next month.

How it is being reported

• Woman who killed abusive partner seeks application for retrialProsecutors are seeking a retrial in the case of a woman who stabbed her abusive partner to death.BBC Northern Ireland · 16 Oct, 13:43
• Prosecutors seek retrial of woman who stabbed partner and had murder conviction quashedBelfast Telegraph · 16 Oct, 11:59

In this story: Julie Ann McIlwaine · James Joseph Crossley · Dunmurry · Hydebank Wood

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