Killer who beat ex-girlfriend to death accused of claiming another life
EXCLUSIVE
by Ross Lidbetter
ross.lidbetter@essnmedia.co.uk
A man who killed a Norbury teenager has been accused of "claiming another life" after the mother of another of his victims died.
Jennifer McDermott has paid tribute to Eunice Lander, who passed away suddenly on February 3, aged just 46.
Eunice's daughter, Kara Hoyte, was attacked with a hammer by ex-boyfriend Mario Celaire in Walthamstow in 2007 and left brain damaged.
Celaire was jailed last July for the attempted murder of Kara and for the manslaughter of Jennifer's daughter, Cassandra.
Cassandra was found dead at the family home in Granville Gardens, Norbury, on October 26, 2001.
She had been savagely beaten by Celaire, who she had also gone out with, and was left to drown on her own vomit.
After hearing of Eunice's death, Jennifer, 58, said: "It has been approximately six months since Mario Celaire was sentenced and he has sadly claimed another life.
"I got to meet Eunice in court and she was a vibrant, wonderful person who helped her daughter through the awful situation she was in.
"We became such close friends through this tragedy.
"Her death now makes me feel like part of me has gone. We bounced off each other's strength."
Eunice became Kara's main carer after the brutal attack, and it is not yet clear exactly what caused her death.
But Jennifer said: "I was with Eunice on the 29th (of January), which was Kara's 22nd birthday, and she talked about the stress of having to look after Kara.
"The conversation always went back to Mario because he was the cause of this.
"The impact brought upon both families hasn't ended – it is still going on."
At the Old Bailey last July, Celaire was ordered to serve a minimum of eight years for Cassandra's death and 23 years for the attempted murder of Kara, with the sentences running concurrently.
Celaire had been found not guilty of Cassandra's murder and manslaughter in a trial at the same court in 2002.
But his acquittal was quashed in the Court of Appeal after the 800-year-old double jeopardy law was scrapped in 2005.
Previously, anyone acquitted by a jury could not be retried for the same offence.
Describing how her family have coped in the last six months, Jennifer, who waited more than seven years for justice, added: "It doesn't bring an end.
"But it brings solace to us that he's inside and he's going to be there for a while."
3 Comments
by I Know Im Right, Right Here in The Real World
Monday, February 15 2010, 1:20PM
“hmprisonservice.gov.uk/resourcecentre/publicationsdocuments/
Is the website the info was from”
by I Know Im Right, Right Here in The Real World
Monday, February 15 2010, 1:17PM
“But I doubt very much this would be one of those cases that the courts would deem horrific enough to warrant the death penalty.
The lifer population at the moment stands around the 5,500 mark, Far higher then any other European country but still a small proportion of the whole prison population, which stood at 83,755 as of Friday just gone. All these figures are are avaliable on the net, you just have to look for them.
Even if all the lifers were to be executed tomorrow. The prison population would still be around the 78,000 mark so would still represent a huge drain on resources.”
by Mr.Angry, The Estate
Monday, February 15 2010, 10:12AM
“Killed her with a hammer,Highest jail population here drain on reserves and country in long time debt. How long do we have to wait for a referendum on death penalty for exceptional murder cases.”