Evil husband strangled estranged wife to death then made chilling confession to their son
A KILLER husband has admitted strangling his estranged wife to death before making a chilling confession to their son.
Michael McDaid, 60, attacked Rachel McDaid at her home in Nottinghamshire.
The monster then bumped into his son outside, telling him: “You can’t go in the house because I’ve killed her.”
McDaid is now facing life in prison after he today pleaded guilty to murder.
Nottingham Crown Court heard the killer was estranged from Rachel but would often return to the family home to see their children.
On April 19, he strangled Rachel then drove away from the house where he called police to confess.
Officers later discovered a boot with its laces missing on a narrowboat McDaid had been living on.
Rachel’s family previously paid tribute to the “beautiful” mum-of-three.
They said: “We are heartbroken over the loss of our beloved mother, daughter, sister, auntie and cousin.
“Rachel has been taken from us suddenly and we are unable to come to terms with the fact we will never see her beautiful face and smile again.
“As a family we were all so close, sharing jokes and precious time together, and the hole that has been left with the loss of Rachel is irreparable.
“We are truly devastated.”
How you can get help
Women's Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
McDaid was remanded into custody to be sentenced at the same court on July 12.
Detective Chief Inspector Clare Dean, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Michael McDaid’s actions that day destroyed the lives of the family members he was supposed to care about the most.
“I cannot even begin to comprehend the pain Rachel’s loved ones were put through and what they will no doubt still feel today because of his despicable decision to murder his former partner.
“Michael McDaid admitting what he did in court means the family will thankfully not now have to relive all the details of the ordeal, which I hope provides them with some small degree of comfort.”