Drug-addicted murderer set fire because he wanted to take woman ‘out of her pain’
George Turner (56) also told gardaí he had normal thoughts during the day but fantasised about harming women at night.
Turner was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday after a court heard he murdered Emma McCroary (45) on December 15, 2022 by setting fire to her home on the Howth Road, Dublin.
He initially told gardaí that he did it because he believed Ms McCroary had “no quality of life” and he wanted to “take her out of her pain”.
George Turner (pictured) rang Gerry Ryan on his radio show
However, he later told officers that he thought the fire might cause her to be evicted and she would go live with him.
A post-mortem confirmed that she had died from inhaling the products of combustion, including carbon monoxide, with no other contributory factors.
Prior to imposing sentence, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon was told by Philipp Rahn SC, for Turner, that his client always intended to plead guilty.
He asked the court to note for the record that his client has had significant mental health difficulties and has been diagnosed with depression. His problems, he said, were compounded by substance abuse.
Emma McCroary’s home was set alight by Turner
Today’s News in 90 Seconds, Sunday, October 12
Today, it can be revealed how in 2009, Turner rang RTÉ’s Gerry Ryan Show seeking psychiatric help after he broke into a home to act out his fantasies about harming women.
Turner, then aged 40, had been a good husband and father for 16 years, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard, before he was diagnosed with depression and began abusing prescription medicine to deal with the condition.
He rang the Gerry Ryan Show in November of 2009 to say he’d broken into a house to act out his violent thoughts a few days previously but left when he discovered there was only a male occupant present.
Gerry Ryan
Detective Sergeant James Byrne recalled that the late Mr Ryan and his producers conducted an off-air interview with Turner because they were concerned about the nature of his call.
They took his name and telephone number and contacted An Garda Síochána.
Det Sgt Byrne agreed with Mr Shane Costelloe BL, defending, that before his client rang the Gerry Ryan Show gardaí had no identifiable suspect for the break-in several days before.
The detective sergeant agreed that Turner had willingly provided his name and number to the show’s producers in a call that had seemed like a “cry for help”.
He further agreed that Turner had been discharged from St Brendan’s Psychiatric Hospital around that time and hadn’t felt in control of his impulses.
Det Sgt Byrne told Mr Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that a resident at the Avondale Road premises was home alone and had gone downstairs after his internet connection was suddenly interrupted.
He went into the sitting room, noticed the internet router had been unplugged and a number of games consoles had been bundled beside the television.
The house occupant then went into the hallway and met an intruder with a pillow over his face.
He ran out the door, leaving the intruder in the hall, and rang the Gardaí once he was across the road.
Det Sgt Byrne said Turner denied unplugging the router during interview and said he fled once he discovered the lone house occupant was male.
Turner explained that he had normal thoughts during the day but fantasised about harming women at night.
He said he had walked past the Avondale Road premises to meet a friend, noticed an upstairs light was on and broke in through an open downstairs window because he wanted to harm someone.
He apologised for what he did and said he needed help.
Turner’s estranged wife told Mr Costelloe that she still had a good relationship with him and that he had been a good husband and father until he was diagnosed with depression.
She said her husband’s life became “chaotic” as he took advantage of his prescribed medication and grew dependant on the tablets.
She said he admitted himself into hospital twice to try and get help for his psychotic thoughts.
She added that since being in custody her husband no longer has the same violent impulses and she hoped there would be a space for him at a residential drug treatment programme so he can tackle his prescription drug addiction.
Judge Desmond Hogan acknowledged Turner needed psychiatric help and commended his wife for supporting him through his problems.
The judge said he had “no doubt” that Turner had “goodness” in him because he knew his fantasies were wrong and “went to great lengths to get help.”
Turner pleaded guilty to trespassing at the Avondale Road house with intent to commit assault on November 21, 2009 and received a two-year suspended sentence.
Almost 16 years later, at his sentencing hearing for the murder of Emma McCroary on Friday, Turner’s counsel revealed how since being remanded in custody in 2023, Turner has been drug free and has benefitted from the structured environment in prison.
Addressing the hearing, Emma’s grieving mother Pauline Costello described her daughter as “beautiful inside and out”.
She said she was adored by her family, got on with everyone and was there for everyone.
When Emma died, she said, her father was in the advanced stages of Parkinson’s disease and passed away two weeks after his daughter.
Ms Costello said she decided not to tell him what had happened and visited him every day until his death with the pain of knowing his “adored child” was dead.
Ms Costello turned to the defendant as she said: “My daughter was very vulnerable when she met you. You took her life and stole her future. You left two children growing up without their mother.
“As for me, I am left to contemplate life without the support of my daughter. Emma was much more than what happened to her and she will never be forgotten.”
The court heard how Turner was linked to the fatal blaze when gardaí learned he had used Ms McCrory’s ATM card to withdraw money and buy alcohol for her on the day of the fire.
It was also Turner who alerted neighbours after smoke started to billow from the windows.
Gardaí spoke to Turner but he did not reveal his part in starting the blaze.
The Garda investigation continued until, on March 15, 2023, Turner went voluntarily to Clontarf Garda Station and admitted he had started the fire.
He was arrested and detained and during subsequent interviews he said he believed Ms McCroary had no quality of life and had told him she didn’t want to live.
In a later interview he said he didn’t want her to die but wanted to give her a “wake-up call”.
He said he thought an alarm would go off once the duvet began to smoulder and didn’t think she would die.
He thought the fire might cause her to be evicted and she would go to live with him, he said.
Det Gda Singleton said gardaí established that in the days following her death, Turner continued to use Ms McCroary’s ATM card for his personal expenses.
Turner has a total of 42 previous convictions.
His most significant previous convictions came in 2016 when he was found in possession of firearms and ammunition in suspicious circumstances, and with drugs for sale or supply.
Prior to imposing sentence, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon was told by Philipp Rahn SC, for Turner, that his client always intended to plead guilty.
He asked the court to note for the record that his client has had significant mental health difficulties and has been diagnosed with depression. His problems, he said, were compounded by substance abuse.