A Cavan man will be sentenced in two weeks' time for murdering his mother and attempting to murder his father.
Danny Heyneman, 32, pleaded guilty to stabbing his mother, Annie to death at their home in Ballyconnell in Co Cavan on 11January 2025.
He also admitted attempting to murder his father, Henk, stabbing him 26 times.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Heyneman said his daily life had been a living nightmare ever since.
Detective Inspector Adrian Durkin told the court that Annie and Henk Heyneman met in the Netherlands but settled back in Cavan to raise their five children.
Mr Heyneman was a chef and Ms Heyneman had become a community worker for adults with disabilities.
Their son, Danny had moved home in 2020. He had had incidents of self-harm and admissions to hospital over the years. In early 2024, there were concerns about his alcohol consumption.
It was also noted by the family that he had become fixated on mobile phones and devices and appeared to be paranoid.
He told his family that he did not want his name said around the devices and wrapped some in tin foil. His behaviour was described as challenging.
On the night of Saturday 11 January 2025, Mr Heyneman arrived at a neighbour's door bleeding heavily from extensive stab wounds.
He said their son Danny had assaulted him and his wife, and that his wife may be dead.
Neighbours said there was blood everywhere - Mr Heyneman's right ear was hanging off and there were "lumps out of him everywhere".
His feet were muddy as he had crossed a field to get to the house.
Mr Heyneman later told gardaí that it was normal for him and his wife to lock their bedroom door at night as they would never know if Danny would come in.
Strange noise
On the night in question, Mr Heyneman said he and Annie had come home after a meal out and he had gone to bed at around 9pm.
He said while in bed he heard a strange noise and then heard screaming. He found his wife lying in the kitchen and asked her if she was okay.
Mr Heyneman said Danny then came at him with a kitchen knife. He said his son ran at him, his eyes were massive and he was shouting.
Mr Heyneman ran back into the bedroom but went back to check on his wife.
His son came at him again, stabbing him with the knife. He managed to fend him off with a clothes horse.
Mr Heyneman told gardaí he could feel blood everywhere and said to himself he had to go to his neighbours as they were his only hope.
Unable to get the keys of his car from the kitchen he let himself out a sliding door and crossed a field to his neighbours’ house.
When gardaí arrived at the scene they found a fire taking hold in the kitchen and found Ms Heyneman lying on the floor.
She was conscious but deteriorated rapidly despite efforts to save her, and died at the scene.
Danny Heyneman rang emergency services from a takeaway almost seven kilometres away telling them there had been a "family argument" and he had stab wounds to his hand.
He said he’d had an argument with his mother and had drunk a bottle of vodka and bottle of beer.
Det Insp Durkin said that Danny had told gardaí that he had tried to talk to his mother about an allegation that he had been sexually abused while in hospital as a young child and that she got defensive. He said he did not want to hurt anyone.
The court heard that Ms Heyneman was stabbed 14 times and died from shock caused by significant blood loss. She had numerous defensive injuries on her hands.
Mr Heyneman was stabbed 26 times with multiple stab wounds to his head and upper body. He continues to suffer significant issues to his eye and also suffers from ongoing stress and anxiety.
Daily life a living nightmare
In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecuting counsel, Gerardine Small, Mr Heyneman said that his daily life was a living nightmare which did not feel real.
He was brought back to the events of that night he said, every time he tried to sleep, every morning and every time he blinked.
Mr Heyneman said he did not recognise his son during the attack and he was no longer their son from that night.
Mr Heyneman said his wife was a fantastic mother, loving and creative, who brought magic into the children’s lives, even into adulthood.
He added that she deserved to have grown old and her murder had left a void that could not be filled.
Mr Heyneman said everyone looked to him for answers, but he could not explain such horrific crimes.
He said he wished he could have saved Annie from Danny and while he knew they needed to keep living, it would never be the same.
He said he was trying to be strong but did not feel strong. Mr Heyneman said he and his wife had loved Danny and cared for him, even in his 30s.
They had never expected thanks, or their care to be returned, but had never expected this.
In a victim impact statement on behalf of the couple’s four other children, their daughter, Yvonne, said the events of that night would haunt them forever.
She said even cutting bread with a knife, made her feel sick. Every time the phone rang, they assumed something tragic had happened.
Danny was part of their lives she said, but every time they visited the home, they now saw ultimate betrayal where there had been love and warmth.
The children said they were traumatised every moment of every day and they said the trauma would live on in the generations to come.
Permanent wound
Ms Heyneman’s sister, Eileen Kielty, said losing Annie so violently had left a permanent wound.
Another sister, Maureen Maguire, said she would never understand how Annie’s son could have done this to the person who loved and cared for him most in this world.
Both women criticised the fact that it took Danny Heyneman 16 months to plead guilty while his lawyers awaited psychiatric reports.
Defence counsel, Keith Spencer, said Danny Heyneman had asked him to read out an apology.
He said he had intended to read it himself but did not feel able to do so.
In the letter of apology Danny Heyneman said he had not spent a day without missing his family and struggled to put his regret into words.
He said he was aware of the "forever damage" he had caused to all of them and understood it could not be fixed or undone.
He added that he understood he had a loving, supportive family who tried their best to get him help.
Mr Spencer said his client’s life had been punctuated by admissions to hospital and his problems had been exacerbated by drinking and "polysubstance" abuse.
He said there was no doubt that there were "chronic mental health issues" at play.
Mr Justice Tony Hunt described what had happened as a vicious and prolonged attack on both parents.
He adjourned sentencing to consider whether the mandatory life sentence for murder should run after a sentence for the attempted murder of his father.
Mr Justice Hunt will impose his sentence on 2 June.
