Lucy Gallagher, 32, was seven years old when her father, Thomas Gallagher, then 45, stabbed her mother, Elizabeth, 30 times. The couple, who had two children together, were separated, and Elizabeth, 34, had told him about her new partner when he "lost control". Newcastle Crown Court heard that following the stabbing, Gallagher went for a drink at his local pub while the mother of his two children lay dying at their former home in Shiremoor, North Tyneside.
Background to the Murder
The court also heard that in the weeks preceding Elizabeth's death, Gallagher had boasted to friends that he intended to kill his wife. In April 2003, Gallagher was sentenced to life imprisonment after pleading guilty to murder.
Lucy, who works in insurance and is from Newcastle, recalled that her parents were experiencing difficulties in their marriage in 2002. That August, Elizabeth moved out of the family home, taking her two daughters with her. A month later, Elizabeth returned to collect swimming costumes for Lucy and her sister. While there, Gallagher made her a cup of tea, during which she told him about a new boyfriend. Gallagher then "lost it" and stabbed Elizabeth 30 times, leaving her to die on the floor.
The Restorative Justice Meeting
In June 2023, Lucy and her sister met with their father through the restorative justice scheme. Lucy said she felt he was only "remorseful for himself" and has not had contact with him since. She described the meeting: "When I met him, he sat down and explained his side of the story, and apologised. He said that he was making mam a cuppa while she was talking about her new boyfriend. He said he got mad, lost it and stabbed her. He then went to price up a job, went to the pub and told the barman, who called the police. It came across to me that he felt more remorseful for himself than for what he did to our mam. I realised he is not someone I want in my life."
Lucy said she experienced a sense of "excitement" to see him for the first time in more than two decades. "I remember seeing him walk in and my heart just started pounding," she said. "It was weird. I knew he had done this horrible thing, but he was my dad. I started wondering if this could be permanent, and if he would be at my wedding. I was excited to meet him."
Memories of Her Mother
Lucy remembered Elizabeth as someone who was "never too busy to be a mum" and always made time to enjoy herself with her two daughters. "She was always willing to have fun," Lucy said. "She would put whatever she was doing on pause to be there for us. I remember having so much fun with her. Being a mam was her priority, and she made that apparent."
Lucy also recalled the moment she learned of her mother's death: "I remember the police knocking on my grandparents' door and coming in to speak to them. My sister and I went into one room, and my grandparents were in the kitchen. I remember walking out of the dining room and seeing my grandma crying her eyes out. I asked what was wrong, and she said mam was poorly - I thought she was being a little dramatic. But then she said that mam had gone to heaven - I don't think I ever fully processed what had happened."
Aftermath and Reflection
Gallagher had a history of psychiatric problems, and Lucy was shocked that nobody took his comments seriously. "Growing up, my mind thought that he was not a bad person, that he was ill and had no support. But after seeing him, it came across that he wasn't remorseful. His apology sounded fake; I don't think he is a good person."
The court had heard that Elizabeth's wounds were to her chest and back. No defensive injuries were discovered on her body, suggesting she had either been caught off guard or attacked from behind. Prior to Gallagher's release in 2012, Lucy said he would send her and her sister birthday and Christmas gifts, but they never went to see him behind bars. "My family's stance was that prison was not a place for children to go. I still knew him as my dad; he did this horrible thing, but he was still my dad. I was a kid; I just got excited that I was getting gifts. As I got older, the presents became less relevant."
After the restorative justice meeting, Lucy saw her father on her birthday that year, and the pair communicated via text message before Lucy eventually cut off all contact. She said: "When I went to the restorative justice meeting, I said that I forgave him; I meant it when I said it to him. But since then, I have questioned whether I do, because of how I felt he wasn't really remorseful or sorry. When I think about the ripple effect this had on my life, and how things could have been much more different - I question whether I do forgive him."
