Read The Irish Scissor Sisters Online
Authors: Mick McCaffrey
In May 2011 RTÉ finally broadcast its programme on the Scissor Sisters, which was part of a series entitled
Killers
. It had been filmed over three years previously but hadn’t been broadcast because RTÉ was concerned that it might influence Linda Mulhall’s appeal.
In the programme Detectvie Garda Dan Kenna, who had by then retired from the force, gave an interview and spoke of how he believed that John Mulhall played a far bigger part in the killing of Noor than has been admitted. He said, ‘I always believed that John Mulhall had a more active role at some stage. We’re not sure what his role was, but we know there was contact between the father, his wife, and two children. The taking of his own life would not be in keeping with the character of John Mulhall, and we’re unsure why that man took his own life. We have accounts of him beating his wife, Kathleen, and his children during their early years. Perhaps the burden of it was too much for him to bear, and the only way for him to deal with it was to take his own life.’
Kenna admitted that the truth of exactly what happen at Richmond Cottages on the night of Farah’s brutal death will probably never be fully ascertained. ‘We will never establish for certain what went on in Richmond Cottages the day Farah was killed. We are happy we have established the murder scene: we had ample evidence to support the fact he was murdered in that flat. We only have the accounts of Linda Muhall and Charlotte Mulhall to tell us what happened. We have a separate account from Kathleen Mulhall that distances her from the killing. We will never know how they could dismember a body in that area and leave so little evidence. You have to remember this was a living human being who had just been killed, whose body was still warm. For him to be cut up in the manner he was, into so many separate pieces in such a small area, and to leave no trace of that part of the crime poses the question of whether he was actually dismembered at the same location.’
As this book goes to print, in October 2011, Katheen Mulhall is due to be released from the Dóchas Centre, after serving her sentence for covering up Farah Noor’s killing. It is unclear what the future will hold for her. Sources say that she will most likely move back to the UK and try to rebuild her life and put her bloody past behind her. She had expressed an interest in trying to adopt Charlotte’s son but this never got off the ground because of the circumstances surrounding what happened on the fateful night in March 2005. No health authority would let Kathleen adopt a young child after the lengths she went to to cover-up what happened in her flat.
The Mulhalls notoriety endures, their grim story forever etched on the nation’s consciousness. Linda and Charlotte still have many more years to serve in prison but there is no way they will do their time in private; they will always be in the media spotlight, for the public still has a huge interest in the Irish Scissor Sisters. We have certainly not heard the last of them.
List of Illustrations
Linda and Charlotte Mulhall on their way into the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. ©
Courtpix
Farah Swaleh Noor on holiday with friends, in happier times.
The front of Flat 1, 17 Richmond Cottages, where Farah Swaleh Noor was murdered. ©
Sunday Tribune
Linda Mulhall, filmed with Farah Noor’s remains in her backpack.
A CCTV image of the Royal Canal on the morning after the murder, 21 March 2005.
A garda patrols the crime scene at Ballybough Bridge. ©
Gerry Mooney/Evening Herald
CCTV image of Charlotte Mulhall, which were examined against their garda mug shots.
CCTV image of Linda Mulhall, which were examined against their garda mug shots.
The photograph of Farah Noor released by gardaí after he was identified.
Linda Mulhall standing outside the court during a break in the trial. ©
Collins Photo Agency
Charlotte Mulhall on her way into the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. ©
Courtpix
Detective Garda Kevin Keys and Sergeant (now Detective Sergeant) Liam Hickey. ©
Sunday Tribune
Farah Noor with the family he left behind in Kenya.