Police initially responded to what seemed to be a violent burglary that spiraled out of control at a family residence in Northern Ireland. However, their investigation quickly uncovered a far more sinister plot behind the brutal attack. Officers arrived at a home in Lisburn, County Antrim, in May 2000, only to discover the lifeless body of father of three, Paul Gault, who had been savagely bludgeoned to death.
As the investigation unfolded, it became evident that this was not a random act of violence but a meticulously orchestrated murder fueled by deep-seated jealousy. In the upcoming documentary The Crime I Can’t Forget: Murder in the Bedroom, set to air on BBC One on Tuesday, 4 March at 10:40 PM, Detective Inspector Roy McComb shares insights into how the case revealed a darker reality. This was followed by an unyielding quest for justice, which involved a series of criminal trials, all while three young children were at the center of this tragic story.
Jonathan Gault, the son of Paul Gault, provides his personal reflections on the crime and its profound impact on his family’s life. In the documentary, he shares his experiences and the lingering effects of that fateful day.
What happened to Paul Gault?
Ernest Paul Gault was a transport manager for a hardware store in Belfast and the devoted father of five-year-old triplets—Jonathan, Claire, and Catherine—alongside his wife, Lesley Ann. The family resided in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In May 2000, Lesley Ann disclosed to her husband that she had been involved in a two-and-a-half-year affair with a coworker, Gordon Graham, which had since ended.
On Friday, 19 May of that year, Mr. Gault took a day off work to spend a short weekend getaway with his wife in Enniskillen. After dropping their three children off at school, the couple returned home. Lesley Ann then left for a couple of hours to run some errands. Upon her return around 11 AM, she discovered the back door ajar and a glass panel shattered. Concerned, she called out for her husband, but receiving no response, she enlisted the help of a neighbor, prompting the emergency services to be contacted.
Tragically, Mr. Gault was found dead in the couple’s main bedroom, having suffered a brutal attack. A post-mortem examination revealed that he had sustained a catastrophic head injury with a compound comminuted skull fracture, likely inflicted by repeated blows from a hockey stick. Dr. Michael Curtis, the assistant state pathologist for Northern Ireland at the time, noted that while such severe injuries could potentially result from a single blow, it was more probable that they resulted from multiple strikes.
Why was Lesley Ann Gault convicted of his murder?
Initially, Lesley Ann Gault faced trial alongside her former lover, Gordon Graham, for the murder of her husband, Paul. However, during the November 2002 trial, the jury was unable to reach a verdict regarding Mrs. Gault’s involvement. She was retried for murder between February and March 2003, where she was found guilty by a majority verdict and sentenced to life imprisonment, serving a minimum of 15 years. Throughout the ordeal, she consistently maintained her innocence concerning the murder.
How was Lesley Ann Gault cleared?
In 2004, Mrs. Gault appealed her conviction on several grounds. By July of that year, the Court of Appeal in Northern Ireland determined that the judge in her murder trial had misdirected the jury on the necessary mental state required to be considered an accessory to murder. Consequently, her appeal was granted, and her conviction was quashed. Following this, she underwent a third murder trial in September 2004, ultimately resulting in her acquittal after a lengthy 20-day trial at Omagh Crown Court. Lesley Ann expressed her relief, stating that she had “been through a nightmare which is almost unimaginable… bereaved, imprisoned, vilified.”
Where is Lesley Ann Gault now?
After her acquittal, Lesley Ann Gault embraced a new chapter in her life as a born-again Christian. She remarried, taking the name Lesley Burke after tying the knot with former engineer Jeremy Burke. In 2017, reports from the Irish Mirror indicated that the couple planned to leave Lisburn and relocate to Carrick-on-Shannon, where they aimed to run Lakelands Elim, a Pentecostal faith church.
What happened to Gordon Graham?
Neil Gordon Graham was convicted of Paul Gault’s murder at Belfast Crown Court on 14 November 2002, following an eight-week trial that concluded with a unanimous verdict. At the time of his conviction, Graham, who resided in Ballygowan, was an assistant divisional officer at the Fire Authority headquarters, where Mrs. Gault also worked. The then 40-year-old had dedicated over 20 years to serving as a fire officer and was married with children. Graham had been engaged in a two-year affair with Mrs. Gault prior to Mr. Gault’s murder.
Upon his conviction in 2002, Graham was sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum term of 20 years. In 2021, it was reported by the Belfast Telegraph that Graham had completed his sentence and was released from prison.
