BELFAST, Northern Ireland – William ‘Bill’ Finlay has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the brutal murder of Alyson Nelson, a beloved mother and grandmother who was stabbed to death in her own home in Whitehead, Co. Antrim. Nelson, a 64-year-old retired nurse, was attacked by Finlay, her ex-partner, on April 16, 2022. The 68-year-old perpetrator had previously been handed a life sentence in November after pleading guilty to the murder aggravated by domestic abuse.
The court heard that Finlay, who had been in a relationship with Nelson before it ended a year prior to the attack, entered her property and fatally stabbed her multiple times. CCTV footage presented during the trial showed Finlay leaving the scene of the crime with a knife in his hand.
Detective Inspector Michelle Griffin of the PSNI expressed the heinousness of the crime, stating, “Alyson Nelson was attacked by William Finlay on Saturday, April 16, 2022. She was stabbed multiple times in her own home in the village of Whitehead, a place she should have been safe.”
Nelson’s family described the tragedy as a loss that has left them devastated. They mourned the fact that their mother would never again be able to partake in the family gatherings and celebrations that she cherished. Despite the sentencing of Finlay, they expressed that the pain and sorrow caused by the loss of their loved one is immeasurable and will continue to affect them in the years ahead.
Notably, the case is the first to be sentenced under Northern Ireland’s new domestic abuse law, in which the sentence was increased due to the offense being committed in the victim’s home. This serves as a significant development in the fight against domestic violence in the region.