The Lost Soul of Eamonn Magee

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Representing himself, Koca appeared remotely from prison for today's preliminary hearing at the Court of Appeal. Orhan Koca (39) mistakenly believed the confession formed part of a deal to secure a 10-year prison sentence for the fatal stabbing in west Belfast, judges were told. By the time the Celtic Warrior had hung up his gloves, Belfast’s Wayne McCullough was a world champion, but his decision to relocate to the US left him out of sight and somewhat out of mind. As the new millennium arrived, the likes of Damaen Kelly and Brian Magee were quality professionals performing admirably, but they fell short in truly capturing my imagination. I needed something deeper than decent ring performances to grab onto.

Before the fight Magee had stated that Burke was "old, slow journeyman. Paul is the sort who hangs in and takes far more punishment than he should. I'll do him a favour and get it over fast". Koca is currently serving a minimum 14-year jail term for killing his estranged wife's new boyfriend in May 2015.I didn’t get over that,” Magee says. “My mum would have a wee drink and dad would sit in there all night. I’d go in and slip him a tin or a fag. Nobody ever knew he was there.”

Koca, 39, is currently serving a minimum 14-year sentence for the murder of his estranged wife's new boyfriend. A biography of Magee was published in 2018 titled The Lost Soul of Eamonn Magee and won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. [10] Amateur record [ edit ] Following the verdict Mr Magee told the judge: "I appreciate your decision. I actually thought you might have given him a couple more years for pre-meditated murder."

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Koca, 39, pleaded guilty to carrying out the murder of 22-year-old Mr Magee, his estranged wife's new boyfriend, in May 2015. Magee’s sporting life alone would make an interesting book. Preciously talented, he was denied a place in the Olympics due to internal politics and his refusal to participate in an unjust runoff fight. His professional career was hampered by his extra-curricular activities but he still managed to win a World title. Bill Clark (29 November 1998). "Too Old, Slow And Easily Punished". Sunday Mirror . Retrieved 13 May 2007.

Lord Justice McCloskey declared: "This was an appalling, cowardly murder of a defenceless victim, striking at the foundations of the rule of law in any civilised society bereft of any mitigating or redeeming feature." Mr Justice Treacy said it was his view that Orhan Koca armed himself in advance then went to his former family home in Twinbrook with the intention of killing Eamonn Magee Junior. Because of his Irish title win, Magee should have automatically been nominated as the Irish entrant for the qualification tournament for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics however, a number of members from the Ulster Boxing Council abstained from voting for his nomination and this led to the Irish (IABA) selection team requesting that Magee fight a preliminary fight against Corkman Billy Walsh, a boxer whom he had already beaten to win the Irish title. In protest, Magee then turned down the chance to box off for the place at the Barcelona Olympics as he felt he was the automatic choice.

However it is Magee’s personal life which make this story special. Magee was a child of the Troubles – the dark period in Northern Ireland’s history when sectarian violence was a regular feature of everyday life. Magee grew up witnessing his father being interned without trial, constant violence and the British Army patrolling the streets. As the book over says he’s been shot, stabbed, exiled and jailed but he’s all been a world champion. His personality and circumstances drew him towards danger but boxing offered him an alternative path. Magee pictured at a mural in his native Ardoyne dedicated to famous boxers from the area. Pic: Colm O'Reilly/Sunday Life. There is nothing a boxing fan loves more than a hometown hero to support, and I am no different. I am a handful of years too young to remember Barry McGuigan in his prime, but I was there riding the mid-90s Celtic wave across the Irish Sea with the rest of them as Steve Collins gate-crashed the golden era of British super middleweight boxing to dethrone Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank. Collins is from Dublin, of course, but Ireland is a small island and we get behind our own regardless of exact place of birth. However, uncertainty surrounds Orhan Koca's attempts to secure legal representation in his appeal over the fatal stabbing in west Belfast. The ex-fighter, known as The Terminator during a professional career where he held the Commonwealth welterweight title, vehemently denies the charges.

In February 2010, he was sentenced to six months imprisonment for assault after head-butting a man in north Belfast. [6] [7] An additional lump sum was placed in a bank account under Mary’s name and it still sits there today, the subject of a rumbling legal dispute between Eamonn and his ex on who deserves what from it. IABA. "World Junior Championships". IABA. Archived from the original on 5 September 2006 . Retrieved 13 October 2006.Magee's mind was on revenge and he floored the champion three times in the sixth round before star rated referee Dave Parris stopped the fight with Burke in no condition to continue.[14] In episode one, Jonathan Gault speaks for the first time about the murder of his father in 2000. Paul Gault was found murdered in his home in Lisburn where he lived with his wife, Lesley, and their five-year-old triplets. Initially, detectives believed they were dealing with a violent burglary gone wrong, but it soon became clear that the crime scene was meticulously staged, suggesting a deeper, more sinister motive. But it said that, in common with most burial places, regulations have been established on headstones and memorials.