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Murder victim Siobhán McLaughlin’s best friend reveals sad domestic abuse details

The Goatstown woman used to hide €500 from her husband in the hot press as escape money.

Today at 17:13

Murder victim Siobhán McLaughlin used to sit with tears in her eyes at dinner and hid sums of money in the hot press to try escape the clutches of domestic abuse, her best friend has revealed.

Brian Kearney (62) strangled his wife Siobhan (38) to death with a wire flex 17 years ago after she told him their marriage was over and she wanted a divorce.

“She was murdered for money, it was financial abuse. Siobhan wanted out of the marriage,” Priscilla Grainger said on the Real Lives Untold podcast.

Hosts Trina O’Connor and Sarah O’Connor spoke with mother and daughter team Priscilla and Ainie Grainger who run ‘Stop Domestic violence Ireland’ and published the book SAFE, about the issue of aggression in the home.

Priscilla described how the death of childhood friend, Siobhan, in her South Dublin, home in 2006 was a turning point in her own life.

“I never got on with Siobhan’s ex,” Priscilla said.

“We met at 8, Siobhan lived down the road, it was very country. She became my best friend. She was fun, vibrant, but…

“She was murdered for money. It was financial abuse. Siobhan wanted out of the marriage. Our paths ended because of our husbands.

“Siobhán used to have tears in her eyes at dinner. He was a lot older, he was clued-in and clever, a manipulator. He got caught but he fought it.

“Her death was horrendous, the way she was left. He’s up for parole again. He’s supposed to be a ‘model prisoner!’

“She hid €500 as escape money in the hot press. Her death was a turning point for me,” Priscilla said.

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Ms Grainger’s own ‘tears have gone into the book’ she wrote as both she and her daughter suffered also with domestic abuse.

“There’s not enough being done in Ireland for men, women and children. Who is getting beaten as we sit here?

“Domestic violence victims are the forgotten people. It will take something happen to one of the Government’s own, someone close to one of them,” Priscilla said.

Her daughter, Ainie, agreed.

“It happens behind closed doors, this is the problem,” she said.

Priscilla detailed her own experience, beginning not long after taking her wedding vows.

“It started on the second night of my honeymoon. I didn’t know what a red flag was. Nearest thing I knew to that was a Cork flag in Croke park.

“I had a doubt in my mind the night before I got married. My biggest regret was I went to the bathroom and then said ‘ah, it’s just nerves.’

“I knew deep down I was making a mistake. A big mistake was not to move in before I got married.

“I thought to myself ‘have I walked into a prison?’” she asked.

Things would be nice for a few days and then would turn bad again, with beatings and violence.

“I was terrified if I told the truth about what was going on, my baby would be taken from me,” she said.

Priscilla’s husband was jealous of his baby daughter, which Ainie remembers feeling clearly.

“I felt hostility from him. Never got a good vibe from him. I knew what type of person he was, from an early age.

“He had huge issues with gambling. He would leave me in the car for 2-3 hours. I’m still hyper vigilant.

“I would have to deal with his anger. It left me with PTSD and trauma. But now I know what to lookout for. It’s a set of traffic light: green, amber and red.

“If they tell you what to wear, that’s a red flag. Get rid. No point in sugar coating it,” the young woman concluded.

– The Real Lives Untold podcast can be accessed here or whereever you get your podcasts.