Eric Locke
THIS is the photograph that lays bare the sick lies of murderer Eric Locke, who tried to destroy his girlfriend Sonia Blount’s reputation even after her violent death.
In court the ‘fake’ Facebook killer swore that he and Sonia had consensual sex before he accidentally panicked and killed her, but this mugshot taken shortly after the murder tells the true story of the fight that mum of one Sonia put up for her life.
Covered in cuts and bruises and his face scratched and swollen, each mark on the face of prisoner 90392 is a testament to the battle she had with her brutal killer.
And the Sunday World can reveal that Locke’s arms and legs were covered with carpet burns when he was arrested.
A source confirmed to the Sunday World: “After Locke initially arrived in Cloverhill Prison he was medically examined.
His injuries were consistent with someone with defence wounds one would receive while carrying out an attack of a sexual nature.
“As well as the injuries to his face he had carpet burns on his arms and legs.
“Locke refused to discuss the murder of Sonia Blount with prison officers but he made it clear he believed he was far better than the other inmates in the prison. “Locke referred to them as scum.”
The Sunday World can also reveal that Locke, Anne Shortall’s killer Roy Webster and a third killer, Jimmy Devaney, became close confidantes while each awaited trial for murder.
Collectively they became known by other inmates as the ‘Lady Killers’.
A former inmate has revealed that Locke was known in prison for making sexual comments about women and was not popular with other inmates.
He said: “He got sacked [from his job as a cleaner] for making some inappropriate comment at a civilian female employee as she left the bathroom near the area he was cleaning at the time.
“Due to him being attacked once, he was confined to being a Landing Cleaner and rarely left the E Wing area.
“He made pretty lurid and sexual comments about a friend of mine who would visit occasionally.
“She said, and I quote, ‘ I’ve never felt as undressed by anyone’s eyes before’.”
Locke (35), was sentenced to life imprisonment this week for the murder of Sonia after pleading the defence of diminished responsibility.
After Locke’s sentencing on Friday he was removed to Mountjoy Prison where he arrived at around 3pm.
Sources have confirmed that Locke appeared “unperturbed” as he was removed from the prison van.
Immediately on his arrival in prison, Locke was taken to a single cell in the basement of the prison’s C-Block.
Sources say that although he has not been convicted of a sexual offence authorities plan on placing him in a sex offenders’ wing as he is now considered to be at risk from prisoners in general population.
“The inmates read the papers and are well aware Gardai wanted to charge Locke with rape, but that the DPP turned that down,” said a source.
“As far as they are concerned Locke is a dead man walking if he ever sets foot in general population.”
The jury also saw through Locke’s lies that he had accidentally killed Sonya and on Friday Sonia’s family told the Central Criminal Court that not a day goes by without her son talking about the “special angel” he lost when he was just three years old.
Sonia’s sister Claire Reddan said she idolised Jake and everything she did was for him.
She said that after her sister’s horrific murder the family had to tell Jake: “Holy God needed a very special angel and he chose his mammy.”
Sources say he was covered in scratches and carpet burn marks when he handed himself over to Gardaí the evening after her murder in a room at the Plaza Hotel in Tallaght in February 2014.
“There is no doubt that Sonia put up a huge fight for her life. No doubt she was fighting for her little boy, God love her.
Nobody will ever know what exactly happened in that hotel room, but what we do know is that Locke told lies about Sonia and tried to blacken her character even after she died,” a source said.
During the trial, Detective Garda Janette O’Neill told the court that she believed a “violent struggle” had taken place.
The jury heard how Locke had briefly dated Sonia but the pair split after he became jealous one night and called her a “slut”.
They had met when he started to work in a glue factory where she was employed for almost 10 years.
After the split Locke bombarded Sonia with text messages begging for another chance, culminating in threatening to commit suicide.
She called Gardaí and he was tracked to a hotel where he was arrested under the Mental Health Act and taken to hospital but discharged.
After his behaviour persisted she blocked him on Facebook and on her phone.
Cut off from contact, Locke used a fake Facebook account that he already had in the name of Shane Cully.
He befriended his ex-girlfriend and she unwittingly started communicating with his alter ego, eventually agreeing to meet up in the Plaza Hotel on the night of February 15.
The Jury rejected evidence of Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill, who said Locke had diminished responsibility during the killing.
Pyscho Locke declared “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” as the verdict was delivered, but his remorse was too little, too late.