Family’s ‘cycle of trauma’ hell waiting for evil triple killer’s prison release decision & ‘unacceptable’ parole

THE brother of murdered mum-of-two Sharon Whelan says the delay in deciding if her jailed killer can walk free has left his family in a “cycle of trauma”.

Furious John Whelan has been in limbo for months, with the Parole Board saying it may not rule on Brian Hennessy’s bid for freedom until next year.

A man with gray hair and beard, wearing glasses and a dark jacket, looks directly at the viewer. — **Murdered mum-of-two Sharon Whelan’s brother John says the delay in deciding if her killer can walk free has left his family in a ‘cycle of trauma’**Credit: Jim Campbell Photography

Man in a suit, handcuffed and escorted by two police officers. — **The Parole Board said it may not rule on killer Brian Hennessy’s bid for freedom until next year**Credit: Paddy Cummins

This comes despite them meeting his victims’ relatives in March.

And John insists the long delay highlights how bereaved families are treated as an afterthought within the criminal justice system.

He told The Irish Sun: “You are left in this cycle of trauma all the time. And the State is complicit in all of this.”

Hennessy is serving a life term, which in practice means he became eligible to apply for parole after just 12 years behind bars.

A young woman with long brown hair, wearing a black leather jacket and a maroon shirt, smiles faintly while sitting in front of a tree trunk. — **The killer broke into Sharon’s Kilkenny home on Christmas Day 2008 where he raped and strangled her to death**Credit: Collect

Collage of three passport-style photos: a light-haired child on the left, an adult woman in the middle, and a child with a tooth gap on the right. — **Hennessy then set the property alight, killing Sharon’s daughters, seven-year-old Zara and two-year-old Nadia**Credit: RTE

He lodged his latest application — his third bid for release — at the start of this year.

The evil killer broke into Sharon’s home in Roscon, Co Kilkenny, in the early hours of Christmas Day 2008, where he raped the 30-year-old before strangling her to death.

Postman Hennessy then set the property alight, killing Sharon’s daughters, seven-year-old Zara and two-year-old Nadia, as they slept.

John met with the Parole Board in March, telling them how the three murders had inflicted “lifelong trauma” on him and his family.

He expected a decision within weeks, but when none came, he was forced to contact the board himself last month — only to be told the matter could take a further three to six months due to ongoing delays.

Venting his frustration, John told us: “They were more or less saying there’s an issue there with resources.

“It’s not enough for the families who are affected and have to deal with this. The process is very traumatic, because every time these parole hearings come around, you know it means that it’s getting closer to when he will be released.

“Then you have to go through the parole meeting, fighting to keep this person in prison. And then you’re left with the stress and anxiety of waiting for the decision to come.”

John added: “In my case, I don’t know if I would have been informed of this delay had I not contacted the board myself.

“Others are going through this too. It’s just too much. People don’t understand the stress this causes families. It’s unacceptable.”

John has since written to Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan and to local representatives, demanding answers over the exact cause of the delay and the distress it is causing bereaved families.

Labour leader Ivana Bacik, Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness and Sinn Fein MEP Kathleen Funchion have all replied to John, confirming they will raise the matter with the Department. However, O’Callaghan’s office has only acknowledged receipt of the email so far.

The Parole Board explained that timely decision-making depends on receiving high-quality expert reports from bodies including the Gardai, the Irish Prison Service and its psychology service, the probation service and the courts.

A Parole Board spokesman told us: “There can be delays receiving reports, which has an impact on our timelines and deliverables.

“We are cognisant of the resource challenges also experienced by many of these State organisations and agencies, and we continue to work closely with the services.

“Another issue contributing to delays in issuing decisions is that the Parole Board Secretariat is inadequately staffed for its workload.”

An independent report from 2023 found that a minimum staffing level of 46 would be required to fulfil its current statutory mandate — almost double the current staffing levels.

The spokesman added: “The Parole Board is conscious of the potential impact on both applicants and victims where decisions are delayed.

Steps are taken to engage with both applicants and victims where possible to minimise this.”

For comps can I have the 3 girls (murder victims) to be kept separate from the killer, so fine to have the three on one side, the killer (second pic) on the other and the brother who was interviewed for the article (third pic) in the middle