The final programme in the popular real crime series Cracking Crime which revisits some of the most high profile Irish murder cases of recent years. Using dramatic reconstruction and contributions from investigators, journalists, witnesses and family, the series aims to tell the stories behind the crimes as well as the methods used to solve it.
PROGRAMME THREE: The murder of Sharon Whelan (30) and her daughters Zarah (7) and Nadia (2) by Brian Hennessy, 25 December 2008 Roscon, near Windgap, Co Kilkenny.
Neighbours spotted the farmhouse where Sharon Whelan and her two daughters were staying was ablaze on Christmas morning. Post mortems on the bodies revealed that Sharon had died from manual strangulation and the children from smoke inhalation. DNA evidence was matched to postman Brian Hennessy. On his fifth interview he admitted the murder of Sharon Whelan but claimed they had consensual sex.
In January 2009 he was charged with the murder of Sharon Whelan, two counts of criminal damage and endangering the lives of Nadia and Zara. In November 2009, additional charges in respect of the deaths of the children were preferred at the Central Criminal Court. He was sentenced to all three life terms with the second and third term running consecutively – but an appeal in November 2010 , concluded that the sentences should run concurrently effectively reducing Hennessy’s sentence by two thirds.