THE DAUGHTER OF a woman killed over two decades ago has told of her relief at finally knowing the truth about what happened to her mother.
Howard Kelly of Naas, Co Kildare, was given a life sentence yesterday after pleading guilty to murdering Margot Seery (48) at her home in October 1994.
His crime only came to light last year when he walked into a Dublin garda station “unannounced” and told gardaí he had strangled a woman to death some 20 years earlier.
During his trial, the Central Criminal Court heard how Kelly spent up to five minutes choking Margot before putting her lifeless body face down on her bed and closing the door of her flat behind him.
In an interview on RTÉ’s Prime Tonight tonight, Niamh Holliday (nee Seery), Margot’s only child, spoke about her discomfort at hearing details of her mother’s final moments.
“It was horrible hearing about those last few minutes, to think of the pure terror that she went through, in those three to five minutes or whatever it was,” she said.
Holliday told reporter Barry Cummins that she vividly remembers seeing her mother for the last time, at the age of 12, as she left their home to visit her father.
Saying goodbye, she “pressed the buzzer on the door like [she] always did” and her mother looked out the window, shouting “bye”.
Postmortem
Holliday told Prime Time that she was grateful Kelly had eventually confessed to his crime, allowing her to know her mother did nothing to cause her own death.
For over two decades, she was led to believe Seery had died from alcohol intoxication, after a postmortem wrongly concluded that the death was a result of vomit inhalation caused by alcohol.
“I have been trying to think what the word is that I am. I can’t say I’m happy about finding out my mam was murdered but I am happy we know the truth,” Holliday said.
If anything, I am very grateful to Howard Kelly for actually coming forward to tell us this. I’m not angry any more.
He has come forward, he has told the truth. And because he told the truth, we know the truth.
Remorse
In a statement to Prime Time, issued through his solicitor, Kelly expressed his “deepest regret and remorse” for the suffering his confession has caused Seery’s family.
I understand that this is the worst possible news one could possibly hear about a family member. I cannot describe how sorry I am for what I have done nor the abhorrence I have for my actions.
I wish to apologise for both my actions and the delay in coming forward. I am tormented with guilt and remorse and I hope the life sentence handed down by the court is of some comfort to Niamh and her family.
There is nothing I can say in defence of my shameful actions and I know the anger caused to Margaret Seery’s family must be indescribable.
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