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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
Emma McMenamy

Irish wife killers listed among 'world's most evil' in new US documentary series

Wife killers Joe O’Reilly and Colin Whelan have been listed as two of the world’s most evil killers in a US documentary series.

The monsters will feature in a Discovery Channel series due to air soon with contributions from a retired cop who helped nail them.

Former detective inspector Pat Marry said he has looked some of the country’s most evil killers in the eye, but O’Reilly and Whelan top the list.

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He added: “I’m currently filming for the Discovery Channel. I have come across them all, every type of psycho.” O’Reilly, 50, was caged for life for battering his wife Rachel to death at their home in Naul, North Dublin, in October 2004.

Computer analyst Whelan fled to Majorca after killing his 27-year-old-wife Mary Gough – who he claimed fell down the stairs – but was later tried and sentenced to life.

Mr Marry dismissed any possibility of O’Reilly winning an appeal over phone access, in the wake of the Graham Dwyer ruling.

He said: “He couldn’t because this all came to fruition in 2011 about the phones with Dwyer.

“O’Reilly was back in 2004 and was convicted in 2007 so it won’t affect him at all.”

Asked if he believes such killers can be reformed, Mr Marry said: “What I always say about a person who murders someone is of course they would do it again.”

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