A 36-year-old man has received three life sentences for the murders of his wife and two young sons in July 2001.
In the Central Criminal Court this morning, Gregory Fox, who is originally from Dublin but living in Westmeath, admitted killing his wife and his sons, aged nine and seven. All three received multiple stab wounds.
The court heard how Fox killed his wife, Debbie, because she was having an affair. He said he had pleaded with her not to leave him.
However, on 28 July 2001 a row erupted and he smashed a beer bottle in her throat then stabbed her repeatedly and used a hurley to beat her over the head.
He said he killed his two young sons, Trevor and Killian, stabbing them with a butcher's knife, so they would not wake to see their mother lying dead in the family home.
But both boys woke as he stabbed them and pleaded with their father not to kill them. Fox's three victims had several defensive wounds, indicating they had tried to shield themselves from his attack.
The Fox family lived at Castledaly near Moate in Co Westmeath and ran a successful grocery and petrol station.
Gregory Fox pleaded guilty to the three murders but through his lawyer said he had not set out intending to harm his family.
He blamed the sudden collapse of his marriage for bringing on acts of which he never thought he was capable.
