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Eddie Girvan killing: Chinese wife comes forward to say she was 'only told of death weeks ago'

The woman feels "embarrassed and furious" and wants to know why she was never told about Eddie Girvan's violent death
The woman feels "embarrassed and furious" and wants to know why she was never told about Eddie Girvan's violent death The woman feels "embarrassed and furious" and wants to know why she was never told about Eddie Girvan's violent death

A CHINESE woman who has said she is the widow of Greenisland stabbing victim Eddie Girvan has made a complaint against the PSNI – because she was never told he had died.

Mr Girvan (67) was found gagged and tied to a chair with stab wounds to his chest at his home in Greenisland in January 2016.

His killer, heroin addict Margaret Henderson-McCarroll (31), was earlier this week given a six-year sentence for manslaughter including three years in prison.

The mother-of-two claimed she was high on a cocktail of drugs and had acted in self-defence during a row about money she alleged Mr Girvan owed her for sex.

It has since emerged that a woman living in China has come forward saying she is Mr Girvan's widow.

She has contacted the PSNI asking why she was not informed of his death, and has made a complaint to the Police Ombudsman.

The Police Ombudsman's office said it is investigating.

The woman – who did not wish to be identified as she feels "embarrassed and furious" – told The Irish News she wants to know why she was never contacted.

"I, as his wife, hadn't been able to know the whole issue for one year and seven months. Nobody in Belfast told me why this happened," she said.

The 54-year-old said the pair met on the internet before Mr Girvan travelled to China to see her. She said they married in Nanjing in 2008, and had their marriage approved in 2011 by the British Consulate in Shanghai.

However, they fell out after her visa application to travel with him to Northern Ireland was rejected.

"Due to this, Eddie started to quarrel with me. He thought that I wouldn't like to go to Belfast to stay with him," she said.

"Over the next few years, we were in a state of disagreement. I asked Eddie to come to China, but he refused for a variety of reasons.

"In this way, we had lived separately, but we have kept phone and mail contact."

But in 2016 she stopped receiving responses to her emails from the retired plumber.

"I didn't know what was going on, I couldn't get in touch with him, so I tried to contact his good friends, but the emails I wrote to them were returned as well."

She said she only found out about Mr Girvan's violent death late last month after eventually making contact with some of his friends.

"Eddie was very kind to me and my son, who is my only child from my previous relationship. If Eddie had come to China to stay with me, he wouldn't have died," she said.

The mother provided a range of documents, including copies of passports and what appear to be marriage certificates, to support her account.

She said she has tried contacting the PSNI at Seapark police station in Carrickfergus but had received no response.

She said that close friends of Mr Girvan's have told her that police had been informed of her existence when they were investigating his killing.

"There is an inescapable responsibility of Seapark police station, which has done a great damage to my mental health," she said.

She added: "What matters now is why the police chose not to notify me about Eddie's death. Why did they deprive me of my right to know? This is the dignity which I want to get back.

"I expect the police to show their sincerity to acknowledge their mistake."

PSNI detective inspector Darren McCartney said: "Police remain in contact with Mr Girvan's widow and are assisting her with a number of matters.

"All decisions made by police at the time of Mr Girvan's death were made in good faith and with his widow's best interests at heart.

"We are aware a complaint has been submitted to the Office of the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland (PONI) and we look forward to explaining fully the rationale of our decision-making in the confidential setting that a PONI investigation provides."

A Police Ombudsman spokesman said: "We have received a complaint about this matter and are now investigating."

Margaret Henderson-McCarroll, previously of Verner Street, Belfast, admitted manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

An earlier court hearing was told her life had "descended in a heroin hell" following the cot death of her baby daughter.

During sentencing on Monday, the judge described the killing as a "horrific crime".

Prosecutors are considering whether to appeal the jail term on the grounds that it is "unduly lenient".

It's believed Mr Girvan had been estranged from his former wife Heather and two daughters Martina and Amanda.

None of Mr Girvan's family members were present at court for the sentencing.