Man beheaded his mum and buried her chopped up body believing it was an “honour killing”

James Dunleavy beheaded his mum and buried her chopped up body believing it was an “honour killing”, an ex-pal claimed.

The Dubliner was found guilty of killing Philomena Dunleavy, 66, and trying to hide his vile crime by cutting up her body and burying her in Edinburgh.

Dunleavy, whose brother Terry was shot dead in a gang war in 2005, was ordered by the judge to be detained at Scotland’s high security mental hospital at Carstairs. And it has now emerged Muslim convert Dunleavy may have misinterpreted the Koran and slaughtered his mother in an honour killing after she split up with his dad.

Two men from the shop below his flat became pals with Dunleavy after he moved to Scotland, especially Mohammed Razaq, who helped him convert to Islam. Mr Razaq said he thought in Dunleavy’s mind it was an honour killing. He said he believed Dunleavy felt his mother had betrayed the family by leaving his dad.

Mr Razaq said: “It’s a tragic event. I feel gutted. I wish it had never happened. And I feel sorry for James for carrying out such a heinous crime. I think it was an honour killing, I think he was trying to protect his family’s honour because I’ve spoken to a few other people and they’ve said the Irish are close knit.”

A source added: “I can’t say if he killed his mum because he converted but he believed very strongly in the morals of the Koran and was furious about his mum leaving his dad.”

SOURCE-IRISH MIRROR