A wolf in sheep's clothing
Sister of murdered Clodagh Hawe launches new book 'Deadly Silence'
Jacqueline Connolly has once again called for the findings of a serious crime review into the killing of her sister Clodagh and her three kids to be released to the public in order to provide a greater awareness about the behaviours of so-called “family annihilators”.
She makes the case in her newly published memoir, ‘Deadly Silence’, launched last week (Tuesday, May 6) at Virginia’s By the Book.
Alan Hawe, a vice-principal in Castlerahan, took his own life after murdering his 39-year-old wife Clodagh and their three sons - Liam (13), Niall (11), and Ryan (6) - in August 2016 at their family home.
The property has since been knocked, and though Hawe was buried next to his family in the immediate aftermath, his remains were subsequently exhumed.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris authorised a second investigation into the murder-suicide, which was carried out in 2019, following publicity around the case and an appearance by Clodagh’s mum Mary and sister Jacqueline on Claire Byrne’s Tonight show.
The outcome however has not been published in the public domain, although its contents have been shared with the family.
Ms Connolly says it highlights how the first investigation failed to follow up on information, including “mishandling” CCTV and other evidence such as a secret phone Hawe used as well as laptops and other digital profiles.
Some devices, as well as items of clothing, were “destroyed” before the review took place, she says.
“We should never have had to battle for eight years and two investigations. There should never have been failings… The onus should never have been on me and mam to fight for justice. But no, that meeting in 2019 was very much ‘nothing to see here’, when in fact there was plenty and the review was very critical of how the initial investigation was carried out.”
Ms Connolly is unapologetic in asking for the contents to be made public and also wants improved training for officers dealing with murder-suicide investigations.
“The ‘why’ wasn’t accounted for,” says Ms Connolly of the first investigation. “We had to fight, we were made go public. If we didn’t, where would be now?”
She is critical too of expert evidence given at the inquest, explaining how the review heard from Scottish forensic criminologist Professor David Wilson who assessed that Hawe’s suicide letter appears “pseudo-altruistic”.
“It was all about perception to him [Hawe]. Holier than thou. What would people think of him even after he was dead. He wanted people to believe he was still a good man, like by killing Clodagh and the boys he was somehow doing them a favour. Sparing them his downfall.”
Hawe, says Ms Connolly, was later discovered to have had a hidden pornography “addiction”.
He controlled much of what wife Clodagh did, shared email accounts with her to keep tabs, but at the same time operated an unknown alias under the name ‘John Smithers’.
Investigators were never able to access that account, nor find what subscriptions were assigned to it. But through other sources investigators did find that Hawe had begun planning the murder of his family at least 12 months in advance.
“There were behaviours, patterns leading up. He’d done the research, stuff online. That wasn’t shown in the first investigation. He moved the furniture, knowing Clodagh’s back would be turned when it came to it.”
Strained
At times Ms Connolly admits her relationship with older sister Clodagh became strained. She sees now the controlling influence Hawe exerted over her, and by extension them too.
Ms Connolly has lost both her brother Tadgh (2010), as well husband Richie (2013), to suicide.
After her brother died, Hawe told Clodagh: “‘He’d look after her. They were his words. And she believed him. He was everything to her. Ironically, her safe space. He very quickly positioned himself as the man of the house.”
With the benefit of hindsight Ms Connolly says Hawe was a “wolf in sheep’s clothing who fooled us all”.
Texts shared between the two sisters had to be forwarded to him.
“Looking back, nothing about that was normal. Their relationship wasn’t normal. It appeared normal from the outside, but looking deeper you see that now,” says Ms Connolly.
Publishing this book, aided by ghostwriter Kathryn Rogers, has been “bittersweet” for Ms Connolly.
It’s been cathartic in one sense, but traumatic in others.
Just one week out from release ‘Deadly Silence’ is already heading for a second print run.
Despite it all, Ms Connolly is “at peace”. Her journey of self discovery, to find healing, is well documented in the book too.
“I have a wonderful mother, son, family, and friends. I have so much love around me,” says Ms Connolly, who was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from the community at her book launch.
“Because you’re alone in writing all this down and then you have to release this, I have no shame saying I was very vulnerable. But I understand, if I keep all this trauma along with what happened to Clodagh and the boys inside me, how is anything ever going to change? There are going to be bad days, and healing isn’t linear. But [like Clodagh always use to say] you don’t let what happens define you.”
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