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<\/p>\nScheming computer analyst Whelan, 54, believed he had carried out the “perfect” murder when he strangled his wife of just six months Mary Gough<\/p>\n
Colin Whelan<\/p>\n
Wife killer Colin Whelan<\/a> is a cold blooded “psychopath” who is capable of murdering again, a former detective has claimed ahead of his parole hearing.<\/p>\n Scheming computer analyst Whelan, 54, believed he had carried out the “perfect” murder when he strangled his wife of just six months Mary Gough, 27, in 2001.<\/p>\n Whelan claimed she had fallen down the stairs at their home in Balbriggan, Co Dublin<\/a>, and died from her injuries.<\/p>\n But following a post-mortem it was determined that Mary, who had worked in a solicitor\u2019s office, had been strangled.<\/p>\n Whelan then staged his own fake death by suicide<\/a> and fled the country when he realised detectives were on his tail. His luck ran out 14 months later when an eagle-eyed tourist spotted him in a bar in Majorca, Spain, where he had started a new life under the name Cian Sweeney.<\/p>\n Whelan, who is currently serving a life sentence at Loughan House Open Prison in Co Cavan<\/a>, is understood to be eligible for parole in coming months.<\/p>\n Colin Whelan with his wife Mary Gough<\/p>\n Former detective Pat Marry, who headed the investigation into Ms Gough\u2019s murder<\/a>, said like wife killer Joe O\u2019Reilly, Whelan is cold and calculated and capable of anything.<\/p>\n Speaking ahead of Ms Gough\u2019s 25th anniversary today, Mr Marry said: “He is probably due out now soon. He never showed any emotion and never apologised for what he did. He is a psychopath.<\/p>\n “He has murdered. Can he murder again? Of course he can.<\/p>\n “Will he find himself in a position where he could do it again? Yes, he could.<\/p>\n “Apparently he has been the model prisoner and at one stage was teaching some Kinahan gang associates computer skills.”<\/p>\n Mr Marry said Whelan was so calculated he had planned his wife\u2019s murder before they married. And even bought her presents to impress those around her and give the impression he was the “perfect loving husband”.<\/p>\n 11\/04\/01 COLIN WHELAN (29) (RIGHT) FROM BALBRIGGAN.<\/p>\n He added: “We dug up his computer history and found out that he had planned to kill his wife before he had even married her.<\/p>\n “He went through the six months of the perfect marriage and used to send flowers to her work, giving the impression he was the perfect husband. He had everybody fooled.”<\/p>\n Speaking about how Whelan was caught out, he said an observant nurse noticed some discrepancies with Mary\u2019s injuries.<\/p>\n He added: “A nurse had suspicion about her death as her tongue was swollen and her body was cold to the touch.<\/p>\n “One of the nurses who spoke to Whelan also noticed scratches on his chest, she could see from where his shirt was slightly open, so we had the house reserved just in case.<\/p>\n “A post-mortem was carried out by Dr Marie Cassidy and I was under the impression that it was just a tragic accident but Dr Cassidy said, ‘this woman has died of strangulation’.<\/p>\n “I didn\u2019t have any suspicion because all indications at the time were that Whelan and his wife were very happily married, only six months, and there was no issue with domestic violence at all.<\/p>\n “But by the end of the investigation you could see how much of a psychopath he really was, cold and calculated, no emotion whatsoever and he was manipulating her.<\/p>\n “He wouldn\u2019t let her dress how she wanted to and he didn\u2019t let her get her nails done and she even stopped wearing perfume because he didn\u2019t like it. He was a control freak.<\/p>\n “He was having a cyber-affair with a woman in Wales and had set up a site ‘Extra Marital Affairs’ and was putting himself out there looking for a relationship and put up a picture of a bodybuilder saying it was him and called himself ‘Celtic Tackle’.<\/p>\n “He had asked the woman he was having a cyber-affair with to come over the weekend he murdered his wife and then lied and told her he was away so she couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n “He faked his own death and bought a false passport in the name of Cian Sweeney.<\/p>\n “He was living the life out in Spain, had a new girlfriend and was working in a pub.<\/p>\n “It was only by chance that someone spotted him and recognised him.”<\/p>\n In July 2004, the Spanish police were informed about Whelan being there and he was arrested and extradited back to Ireland.<\/p>\n He subsequently pleaded guilty at the trial the following year and admitted he was a “coward”, before apologising to his murdered wife\u2019s heartbroken family.<\/p>\n A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service<\/a> said they do not comment on individual prisoner cases.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/0_JS224164477.jpg\")
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