Overview

• Julie Anne McIlwaine was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 12-year minimum term for murdering her partner, James Crossley, in March 2022.
• The relationship was marked by coercive control and physical abuse, with Crossley under a restraining order at the time of the killing.
• McIlwaine's defense of acting in a temporary loss of control due to abuse was rejected by the jury, leading to her October 2024 murder conviction.
• Psychiatric evaluations revealed McIlwaine was ‘psychologically enmeshed’ with Crossley and suffered an acute stress reaction at the time of the crime.
• PSNI has reiterated support for domestic abuse victims, urging them to seek help rather than resort to violence.