STANDING opposite her new husband, Mary was completely unaware that what was supposed to be the happiest time of her life would soon turn into tragedy.

As Mary planned her wedding to her first partner Colin Whelan, he was planning a sinister attack.

Who was Mary Gough?

Mary Gough was from Stamullen, Co Meath, Ireland.

She came from a family of five boys and quickly had to learn how to ''stand up for herself'' according to her brother Barry.

Close friend of Mary, Sinéad Byrne described her as “happy” and “jolly”, but also “very quiet, reserved and laidback”.

During her lifetime, Mary only had one significant other.

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For Mary this was Colin Whelan, a computer analyst from North County Dublin.

The couple first met in 1993 in the Huntsman Inn, where Mary was working at the time.

In 1995, the couple “hit a bad patch” and separated, however they soon rekindled their relationship.

Two years later, in 1997, Colin Whelan purchased a house in Clonard Street, Balbriggan, from a relative.

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After moving into their home, just one year in later the couple were engaged, and by 2000, they were married.

However, what was supposed to be one of the happiest times of Mary's life soon turned into tragedy, when she was murdered just six months after walking down the aisle.

She was just 27 years-old at the time of her death.

What happened to Mary Gough?

On March 2, 2001, Colin Whelan alerted emergency services of an alleged fall in the early hours of the morning.

During the chilling 999 call, Whelan said: “My wife needs an ambulance, she’s fallen down the stairs.

“What can I do? I don’t think she’s breathing.

“She’s bleeding really badly from her nose.”

When police arrived at the couple's home address, Whelan informed officers that his wife Mary had fallen down the stairs and died as a result.

At the scene, those responding found Mary at the bottom of the stairs.

But alarm bells began to ring when first responders discovered that Mary had flat-lined and were unable to restart her heart, which was unusual if she died when her husband said she had.

Further worries regarding the circumstances of Mary's death came when emergency responders discovered she was cold to the touch on arrival.

Mary was transported to Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, but was sadly pronounced dead on arrival.

Authorities soon realised after a post-mortem was carried out that Mary's injuries were not consistent with a fall down the stairs.

Instead, the pathologist report found that Mary was murdered by strangulation.

State pathologist Professor Marie Cassidy told detective inspector Patrick Marry: “You have a murder on your hands.”

When questioning Mary's spouse, Whelan told detectives that he had heard his wife fall down the stairs, and found her unconscious at the bottom.

However, police soon realised an assault had taken place and Whelan became the main suspect of the murder case.

During the investigation, police discovered that Whelan had scratch marks on body, on the day Mary Gough died.

He had also lied about the fall.

As investigations continued, more and more evidence against Whelan began to pile up.

Forensic testing in their home found evidence that was consistent with Mary being strangled and killed near the door of their bedroom.

Her body was then moved to the bottom of the stairs before emergency services were called.

Also in their home, investigators discovered evidence that provided a motive.

In June 2000, Whelan had taken out an insurance policy for himself and his wife for a 10 year period – this amounted to £400,000.

They also discovered that Whelan's had been having an affair with a woman in Wales on an online chatroom, who he’d promised to move to be with. 

But the final piece of the case came when police eventually used computer evidence to help convict Colin Whelan.

After obtaining a search warrant, officers searched his work place and soon discovered that Whelan had wiped his hard drive and search history.

Despite trying his best to conceal any potential evidence, after a detailed search on the computer database, police came across evidence of Whelan's search history.

He had searched death by strangulation, and loss of consciousness.

He had also long been researching how best to kill his wife, as well as the name Henry Louis Wallace.

Henry Louis Wallace was a serial killer in the United States who strangled a number of women in the 1990s – he would use a pillowcase or a towel.

They later found a belt from Colin’s dressing gown which had been used to murder Mary Gough along with the towel.

Whelan was arrested and charged with the murder of his wife and the judge set the trial date to take place for two and a half years time.

Whelan pleaded not guilty.

However, in May 2002, Whelan was reported as a missing person.

The same day his car was found abandoned near a cliff, with the keys to the car on the passenger seat and an empty bottle of gin.

Whelan had attempted to fake his own death in a bid to flee the country and evade police.

This sparked a 14-month long manhunt worldwide, before Whelan was eventually found hiding in Majorca under a new identity.

On April 11, 2005, four years after Mary’s murder, Whelan was finally bought to trial for his crimes.

It was then that he changed his plea to guilty.

At the age of 34, Colin Whelan was given a life sentence.

Before passing sentence of mandatory life imprisonment, Mr Justice Carney said the murder was "the most calculated and callous killing" he had ever witnessed in his entire time in court.

Did Mary Gough have any children?

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At the time of Mary Gough's tragic murder, she did not have any children.

There are also no reports of Colin Whelan having any children.

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