Stephen McKinney to appeal conviction for wife’s murder

A STRABANE man has been granted leave to appeal against a conviction for murdering his wife on a boating trip on Lough Erne in 2017.

In November 2021, Stephen McKinney, 45, was sentenced to serve a minimum of 20 years in prison for what the Crown Court judge described as the “cold blooded’ murder” of his 35-year-old wife, Lu Na McKinney.

The judge said the crime “was carefully planned and ruthlessly executed when his wife was entirely defenceless.”

The couple and their two young children had moored their boat at a jetty on Devenish Island in Lough Erne during an Easter holiday.

McKinney claimed his wife had fallen into the water after going on deck to check the mooring ropes.

He said he had gone into the water after her, grabbing her at first, but that she slipped from his grip and went underwater.

The prosecution described McKinney as “a controlling, manipulative, coercive man” who had grown tired of his wife.

They said the story he told the police was a lie to cover up a planned, carefully thought-out murder where he intentionally caused his wife to be in the water.

While being led away from the court after sentencing, McKinney continued to protest his innocence. He said, “I’m innocent. I did not do this.”

He was convicted after a 13 week trial, which was previously abandoned in March 2020 because of the Covid lockdown. During his trial, his defence barrister, Martin McCann passed away.

In a separate move, McKinney is also appealing the 20-year sentence imposed on him.

During legal discussion at the Appeal Court on Monday, defence counsel Brian McCartney KC, instructed by Roche-McBride Solicitors, said there are grounds for the appeal that have “no legal precedent, which will make the appeal quite complex.”

The appeal, which is expected to run over two days, has been fixed for June 19 and 20.