LU NA McKinney, who drowned on a family boating holiday on Fermanagh’s Lough Erne four years ago, was looking at ways of divorcing her husband, Stephen, and returning to China with their two children, the court where he is on trial, accused of her murder, has heard. 

His trial at Dungannon Crown Court on Wednesday also heard about arguments the couple played out over social media, and while “not friendly”, Mrs. McKinney never accused her husband of attacking her physically. 

McKinney, originally from Strabane, who lived with his family in Convoy, Co. Donegal, but now has an address in Castletown Square, Fintona, Tyrone, denies murdering his wife during the cruise in April, 2017.

The prosecution claim that what occurred was no tragic accident, and that the 44-year-old was a controlling man who’d tired of his wife but was unwilling to accept she might divorce him.

The court heard the couple initially met in Ireland but moved to China before returning to live in Donegal because of the children’s education. The owner of a Chinese take-away in Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone, said that Lu Na confided in her about an argument she had with her husband.

She said Lu Na also told her McKinney had been “disloyal to her” when living in China, but had not gone into detail.

She agreed she was shown text messages on a Chinese version of Facebook between the couple, but while at times they “were not friendly”, Lu Na said “there was no violence and he [Stephen] did not beat her”.

There was “no physical violence, but I think mental,” the owner of the take-away said.
She further agreed that the family arguments would sometimes continue for days, and that “Stephen also sent [Lu Na] a message saying that if she was not happy they could divorce”.

However, she also confirmed that Lu Na had gone to Citizens Advice seeking information about getting a divorce, and was referred to a female solicitor, and that Lu Na also told her of her friendship with a professor, but that the relationship was not sexual.

The court also heard that a month before her death, Mrs. McKinney had gone to the Republic’s Department of Social Affairs inquiring about various educational courses, and what benefits she might receive.

An officer from the Department said Mrs. McKinney also told her her husband “had become more moody since coming back to Ireland”, and that he was not used to being without a job, and “that might explain the change in his mood swing”. 

A former neighbour of the family said following Mrs. McKinney’s death, she’d gone to offer her sympathies to McKinney, and he had told her what happened.

She said she was told Lu Na was “quite anxious” because it was “a rocky night ... quite windy”, and McKinney assured her he had tied the ropes of the boat up properly.

However, while they fell asleep, he was awakened by his wife getting up and putting on a coat, and although he told her to come back to bed, she went out the door.

“He said he was unsure because he had fallen back to sleep, and he was unsure if it had been for 10 minutes or it could have been an hour ... and said he heard the splash and he got to go and help her, and that she was already over and he went in after her.”

The neighbour said that McKinney blamed himself for what happened. “He said, ‘It was my fault. I couldn’t save her’.” He also blamed the cruiser hire company for not providing enough life jackets on the boat.

“He said it was the company’s fault, and mentioned something about compensation for the kids, but he did not want it because it was ‘blood money’.”

Under cross-examination, she described him as being upset, and “assumed it was shock”. She further agreed that at the beginning of 2017, when McKinney had to undergo surgery, Lu Na “was crying and upset about that”.

She agreed that Mrs. McKinney also told her her father had gone into intensive care and never came out of it, and she was “concerned something similar might happen to Stephen”.

The final witness before the trial was adjourned told of being in Shanghai on a business trip, and of meeting McKinney in an Irish bar, and while watching a football match over drinks, he’d told him of his wife’s death.

He said he was told Mrs. McKinney had gone to check on the boat ropes, he heard a splash and jumped in after to save her, and while telling the story, “I could see that he was getting quite upset”, and he did want to press the matter.

The trial, which is expected to last seven weeks, had previously heard about efforts to revive Mrs. McKinney after she was dragged from the water, how the accused blamed himself for her death, and of frantic attempts he made to save her life.

The trial resumes on Monday.