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ELAINE O’HARA’S FATHER, his partner and her siblings have expressed their relief at the conviction of her killer Graham Dwyer.
In a statement issued through gardaí, the O’Haras said that despite justice being served, they still suffer Elaine’s loss and “miss her greatly”.
“This has been a difficult and traumatic two-and-half years for the family and while we respect the role of the media in providing accurate and important information, we ask that you respect our need for privacy as we attempt to move on from this heartbreaking and distressing period,” they continued.
Elaine O’Hara was reported missing by her father Frank on 23 August 2012 when she failed to turn up a volunteering job with the Tall Ships Festival. Despite numerous public appeals by gardaí, her body was not found until more than a year later in the Dublin mountains.
Following extensive investigations over the next month, Dwyer was arrested at his home in Foxrock on 17 October 2013 and charged a day later.
Earlier today, and after a gruelling trial which lasted 45 days, Dwyer was found guilty of her murder. He will be sentenced to life in prison.
His victim was laid to rest in a private funeral on 16 March last year.
Elaine O’Hara was killed by Dwyer following a sexual affair which included elements of BDSM and stabbing. They had met through an alternative website alt.com.
Her family today warned of the dangers of such relationships and urged people to “be careful when communicating using the internet and social media”.
They had discovered her interest in the alternative lifestyles two days after her disappearance. Her brother, John O’Hara, had found the name of the website written inside a notebook.
“While we were in the apartment, I had looked it up on my phone and I showed my sister and the garda the images on it,” he told the court. “It was a fetish lifestyle website.”
On the Saturday or Sunday, I logged on and created a username to see if I could find anything to do with Elaine. I found one with no picture.
The username on the profile was Chained Brunette but he was convinced it was his sister’s profile.
“I gave the information to the gardaí and I closed down my user profile,” he said.
On that same day, Frank O’Hara’s partner Sheila Hawkins found a black latex bodysuit in Elaine’s apartment.
“I recoiled because my hand felt this oily rubber substance,” she said. “I saw what looked like black latex.”
She said that she didn’t tell Ms O’Hara’s father at the time because ‘the man was very distressed’. However, she did note that she had knowledge of her interest in S&M from a “conversation with her father”.
During his own testimony, Mr O’Hara recalled how his daughter once told him that she was seeing a Foxrock architect who tied her up and masturbated on her.
”I was shocked,” he said, adding later in cross examination that her revelations to him had left him “shattered”.
On an emotional day in court, he described his relationship with his daughter, telling the jury he spoke to her every day and saw her three to four times a week.
He considered that he might have been a “best friend” to his daughter. When his partner had an opportunity to get a job in the UK, he said his daughter was concerned about him leaving the country. “She asked would I be going too,” he said.
Today’s full statement:
We are relieved that justice has been served for Elaine but we still suffer her loss and miss her greatly.
We hope that this case will highlight the need for people to be careful when communicating using the internet and social media.
We would like to thank An Garda Síochána for their sensitive and exemplary investigation. We would also like to thank the prosecution team, Garda Family Liaison officers, Victim Support at Court and extended family and friends for their support.
This has been a difficult and traumatic two-and-half years for the family and while we respect the role of the media in providing accurate and important information, we ask that you respect our need for privacy as we attempt to move on from this heartbreaking and distressing period.
We will not be making any further comment at this time.
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How awful it must have been for them.
She seemed like a kind but troubled woman who was taken advantage of in the most awful way by the most awful person.
What’s that got anything to do with her family’s statement Liam ?
That was to someone who’s comment has been removed.
I hope Elaine’s family can find some comfort in this. May they be allowed to grieve in peace.
The O’Haras have behaved with dignity throughout.
Happy is the wrong word, but I’m pleased Elaine has gotten justice. Now I hope the media leave the families alone to recover from this horrendous ordeal.
Now leave him in prison until he rots
I’m so relieved for poor Elaine’s family that this vile person has been found guilty of her murder. Nobody should have to hear what they heard in court or lose their loved one in such a horrific way. I hope they find some comfort with today’s verdict. Well done to the jury for their service. It can’t have been easy
They’ve been through an unimaginably horrible time – any chance media will respect their wishes and stop printing photos of them (no one needs to see photos of her father, sister or brothers).
Tabloids have had enough of this story over last few months, hopefully for the family they sold enough papers on the back of it and let this story drop
Sure hell be with all the other hairys in Arbour Hill, segregated and havin a cushy sentence…stick him in the Joy
Poor family.
In the seemingly unlikely case that Dwyer is innocent of her murder, I think it serves a good precedent that preying on vulnerable minds is an extremely dangerous game. He deserves his sentence, whether he or she or someone else delivered the fatal wounds, he has responsibility for the psychological manipulation.
One thing is for sure; this case is just a drop in the ocean as regards what is going on out there in Ireland, let alone internationally.
Don’t mean to sound bad, but how can someone be convicted of murder when nobody knows how she died. No cause of death was ever established,
The shovel found near the body didn’t belong to o Dwyer forensics proved that…
Anything in the text was just fantasy…..
I do think he killed her but sadly there is no concrete evidence he did..
Who cares what you think. The jury heard all the evidence and came up with the verdict they felt was correct.
The jury’s decision isn’t based on facts though, is based on probability. Which isn’t justice. And more than likely he’ll win an appeal.
Roy.
Bear in mind that while we have seen the highlights, the jury actually sat through the whole trial and had a chance to look over the evidence again during deliberations.
They are far more likely to know what they are on about than we would be.
I can’t believe the stupidity of some of the commenters on this matter.
Elaine was a vulnerable woman and gaf mental health problems.
Her sexual preferences don’t matter. How dare people judge her on this!
Some of her messages are heartbreaking as they give you an insight into her character. She seemed sweet and naïve.
G D is a predator and a twisted, sadistic pervert.
The scariest thing is how normal he seemed to those around him and to his poor family.
The text message are terrifying in that it is like seeing a murder in slow motion. The grooming, harassment and manipulation of Elaine is horrific.
RIP sweetheart xxx
Roy am inclined to agree with u .Does anyone else think that this woman was into bdsm and not entirely innocent.She was living a dangerous lifestyle ,involved with an extremely dangerous man,and died because of it . Not entirely convinced of the innocent victim status she is being now given .
She was vulnerable , that’s why he picked her , same as the American girl he figured their deaths wud b put down 2 suicide , he promised her a baby if she cooperated with him , she was a victim ! He manipulated her into this relationship with empty promises ! Rip Elaine .
sorry eilish, how exactly was she not an innocent victim, even if she asked that skumbag to kill her, she wasn’t in a right frame of mind. he took advantage of a severely emotionally distressed person, he murdered her, if you dont believe that after all of the evidence, then your sick in the head.
just so you know, being into bdsm is not an offence or a sin, and there`s no laws broken for sleeping with married men either
What a moronic statement to make. Of course she is an innocent victim she was MURDERED!!!!!!!!! He unlawfully took her life. Bdsm can be practiced safely if the right people are involved unfortunately elaine was vulnerable and needed to feel loved/wanted and dwyer knew just how to take advantage of that. Given your occupation and training eilish I’m very surprised at your view…I would expect more understanding from a nurse who studied psychiatry, psychology,etc.
She did have other equally disturbed men whom she also entertained .
She was involved with him ,and many other dangerous men like him , cutting each other with knives can hardly b considered a safe practice .
Eilish- you’re either mental or you’re a troll
have your say