Court of Appeal quashes murder conviction of woman who killed abusive partner
The Court of Appeal set aside Julie Ann McIlwaine's murder conviction, finding jurors were misdirected on her loss-of-control defence.
Julie Ann McIlwaine, a 35-year-old from west Belfast, was convicted in October 2024 of murdering her partner James Joseph Crossley, who was stabbed ten times while sleeping beside their child. On appeal, the Court of Appeal, chaired by Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan with Lord Justice Colton, ruled that jurors had been misdirected on the loss-of-control test, using a stricter “would” standard instead of the correct “might” formulation.
The judges said this error was material given expert psychiatric testimony supporting the defence. As a result, the murder conviction was quashed and the case was adjourned, giving prosecutors two weeks to consider a retrial. McIlwaine, serving a minimum 12-year sentence at Hydebank Prison, wept as the decision was delivered.
Why it matters
It highlights how jury instructions can affect outcomes in domestic-abuse self-defence cases.
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