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Christmas Day murder: Man jailed for Charmaine Macmuiris stabbing Christmas Day murder: Man jailed for Charmaine Macmuiris stabbing
(35 minutes later)
A man has been sentenced to life in prison for murdering his girlfriend, who was found dead at his Carmarthen home on Christmas day. A man has been jailed for life for the "vicious and brutal" murder of his girlfriend of three weeks, who was found dead on Christmas Day.
David Thomas O'Sullivan stabbed Charmaine Macmuiris to death and must serve at least 14 years. David Thomas O'Sullivan, 28, stabbed mother-of-three Charmaine Macmuiris, 37, to death at his Carmarthen home before going to the pub and returning to eat pizza.
The 28-year-old had previously denied killing mother-of-three Mrs Macmuris, 37, but changed his plea to guilty at the start of his trial on Monday. He admitted murder at Swansea Crown Court and must serve at least 14 years.
The judge described the killing as a "vicious and brutal" attack. The court heard he wrongly believed she was seeing another man behind his back.
The court heard Mrs Macmuiris, also from Carmarthen, had gone to O'Sullivan's home to celebrate Christmas. In a victim impact statement read to the court, Mrs Macmuiris's mother Christine said: "She was taken in the most cruellest of ways on the most cruellest of days."
Relatives raised the alarm after she failed to turn up later that day for a family meal with her three children and new grandchildren. The court was told that Mrs Macmuiris, also from Carmarthen, had been wrapping presents for her children before bricklayer O'Sullivan persuaded her to go for a drink on Christmas Eve.
Mrs Macmuiris was looking forward to celebrating Christmas with her three children Hannah, 19, Ruby, 14, and Keilan, 11, along with toddler granddaughter Pixie, a previous hearing was told. During the course of the evening, they began to disagree with each other and Mrs Macmuiris chose to leave when O'Sullivan threw a part-full pint glass over her.
But she was found dead in his home on Christmas morning. But the pair were later spotted on CCTV walking towards O'Sullivan's home.
Ed Beltrami, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales, said: "Today, David O'Sullivan finally admitted his responsibility for a senseless and brutal assault that led to the tragic death of Charmaine Macmuiris. The court heard how he later punched her in the face in the lounge before knifing her at least 10 times in the bedroom.
He left her bleeding to death while her daughter sent a text pleading for her mother to come back home for Christmas.
Police officers went to the house after hearing reports of a disturbance but O'Sullivan told them "everything was OK".
It was only the next day - Christmas Day - that police were called after O'Sullivan's parents arrived at his home.
Prosecutor Patrick Harrington QC said it was clear that there were "strong indications there was more than one assault".
"After, he left the home and went to two pubs and drank larger and bought a pizza - he returned to the address of the murder and ate his pizza," he added.Life term for Christmas Day killer
Threatening messages
The court heard that after only three weeks of dating, O'Sullivan had managed to convince himself Mrs Macmuiris was cheating on him with a male friend.
He sent threatening text messages to the man and his family on the night of the murder.
The court heard that Mrs Macmuiris had been looking forward to celebrating Christmas with her three children, Hannah, 20, Ruby, 15, and Keilan, 12, and toddler granddaughter Pixie.
In a victim impact statement, her mother said: "Charmaine has been robbed of her life.
"She was a much loved mother, daughter, sister and auntie and we have been devastated by her lose and the shocking manner of her death."
O'Sullivan had initially pleaded not guilty to murder but had changed his plea at the start of his trial on Monday.
Judge Eleri Rees told him: "This was a vicious and brutal killing.
"There may have been more than one assault - there is physical evidence of a struggle with blood stains in a variety of locations.
"You used a kitchen knife to attack Charmaine and death would not have been instantaneous or the result of any one wound or blow.
"At some point her daughter tried to text her mother and you tried to respond but in a clumsy mistake you sent a text to another person.
"This was the most callous behaviour to show to someone who you purported to love."
'Awful consequences'
Speaking after the case, Ed Beltrami, chief prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service in Wales, said: "Today, David O'Sullivan finally admitted his responsibility for a senseless and brutal assault that led to the tragic death of Charmaine Macmuiris.
"Only O'Sullivan himself can truly know what caused him to carry out such a vicious attack on an entirely innocent victim."Only O'Sullivan himself can truly know what caused him to carry out such a vicious attack on an entirely innocent victim.
"What is certain is that those close to Charmaine continue to deal with the truly awful consequences of what he did.""What is certain is that those close to Charmaine continue to deal with the truly awful consequences of what he did."
Mr Beltrami said O'Sullivan's guilty plea meant the victim's family had been spared a full criminal trial process, but added: "We are acutely aware that today's outcome will not bring an end to their sense of loss."Mr Beltrami said O'Sullivan's guilty plea meant the victim's family had been spared a full criminal trial process, but added: "We are acutely aware that today's outcome will not bring an end to their sense of loss."
At the time of her death, her parents John and Christine said: "As a family we are heartbroken and devastated by the loss of our beautiful daughter. Det Ch Insp Greg Williams, of Dyfed-Powys Police said: "To lose someone is always difficult but even more so on such a significant day.
"Our lives will never, ever be the same again. "I welcome today's conviction and hope that it can be used to bring some closure to those deeply touched by the untimely loss of a loved one."
"Charmaine was taken from her children, grand-child and all her family in the most cruel of ways on Christmas Day. But in a statement, Mrs Macmuiris' family said they did not feel that a minimum term of 14 years" reflects the severity of what he has done".
"No family should ever have to face such a tragedy." "We are all still devastated at losing Charmaine," they added.