Man Sentenced to Life for “Cold-Blooded” Murder of Estranged Wife
Michael McDaid has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his estranged wife, Rachel McDaid, 53. The court heard that McDaid, 60, strangled Rachel with a bootlace at her home in Eastwood, Nottinghamshire, on April 19. He must serve a minimum of 23 years and four months before being eligible for parole.
Nottingham Crown Court was told how McDaid coldly informed their 23-year-old son Owen: “You can’t go in because I’ve killed her.”
In a poignant victim impact statement, Owen addressed his father, calling him a “coward” and expressing deep shame. “I am truly ashamed to have ever called you my dad. You have ruined every single childhood memory,” Owen said. “I hope you can see the pain you have caused. You are no dad of mine. You are a monster.”
The couple had been living separately since McDaid moved out four years prior to the attack, residing on a narrowboat. However, he continued visiting the Nottingham Road property to collect work tools and see his three sons. On the day of the attack, McDaid arrived at the house around 9:30am, knowing Rachel would be alone. Prosecutor James Varley described how McDaid used a garrotte made from a 2m (6ft 6in) bootlace to strangle her.
McDaid had even arranged for a friend to care for his dog, anticipating his imprisonment. “He had no injuries on him. There was no sign that Rachel had any opportunity to fight back,” Mr. Varley told the court. “Before leaving he went around the house and locked all the doors from the inside.”
Owen arrived at the scene around 11:00am, but McDaid prevented him from entering, stating: “You can’t go in there, I have killed her.” Using a ladder, Owen climbed through an open window and found his mother dead inside the house.
McDaid later called 999 and confessed to the killing. He returned to the scene shortly after, where police arrested him. The court heard Rachel suffered injuries to her neck, forehead, chin, jaw, and wrist.
Her youngest son, Isaac, tearfully expressed his heartbreak over his mother’s “brutal death.” He said, “My mum, my Rachel, my best friend. I can’t begin to say how much you meant to me. You are and always will be the best person I have had the pleasure of meeting. I am devastated that 19 April was the last time I got to be with you, and I never got to say goodbye.”
Despite McDaid’s claims that Rachel was a narcissist and his attempts to portray himself as a victim, the court found no evidence supporting his allegations. McDaid avoided eye contact with his sons as they delivered their statements.
Defending, Clive Stockwell KC read a letter from McDaid, in which he stated: “I spent 25 years with my wife who I have always loved with all my heart. I have committed the most awful crime possible. I could not escape my mental health. I know that I did not make the right choice. I pray to God for forgiveness.”
McDaid, of Acre Lane, Aston-on-Trent, Derbyshire, had pleaded guilty to murder at an earlier hearing on July 5. He also admitted to possessing cannabis.
Sentencing McDaid, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said, “Your letter suggests you were under the illusion that because of your mental state you had no alternative. There was no justification for Rachel’s death and no history that she treated you as the victim. [The attack] was cold-blooded and in revenge because of your mistaken belief that she had made your life a misery.”
This case underscores the tragic consequences of domestic violence and the profound impact it has on the victims and their families
