THE HUSBAND of a murdered Irish woman has broken his silence, saying he did not hire his wife's killer.
Speaking to the Sunday World, Irene White's estranged husband Alan White denied hiring a man to kill his wife, but said he 'wouldn't be surprised' if he was arrested.
Ms White was killed at her home in Dundalk, Co Louth on April 6 2005.
Ms White had three children, aged 17, six and four, and had just done the school run when she was killed.
Her 79-year-old mother called to see her just before lunchtime on 6 April 2005 and found her lying in a pool of blood.
She had been stabbed 34 times.
Last Monday, Anthony Lambe, 34 of Annadrumman, Castleblayney Co Monaghan, was jailed for life after he admitted killing Irene White, 43, in her home in April 2005.
Lambe, who was 21 at the time, told the court he had been asked by someone else to kill Ms White on behalf of another individual.
Speaking to the Sunday World, Alan White, 55, said he is an innocent man, but understands why some view him as a suspect and also told the paper, he 'didn't even know' the man who was convicted of Ms White's murder.
Asked if he would be surprised if gardaí arrest him in connection with the investigation, Mr White said: "Nothing would surprise me anymore. In a way I wish they would because I might get some answers."
Mr White added: "I think it's automatic. It happens in any case where there's a relationship and one person goes missing or is killed.
"People just make up their own stories.
"[The suspicion] has always sort of been there. But what Lambe said on Monday, I was gobsmacked by that.
"One door closes and you think you're finished and then another one opens and you don't know whether you're worse off than ever."
Mr White said the 'logical thing' to happen last Monday was that Lambe be asked to name those who hired him to kill Ms White in open court.
"There's limited time in any court, but somebody should have asked. The logical thing would have been to ask."
Describing his relationship with his wife before her death, Mr White said: "We were separated, about two months, that's all, and even then saying separated, estranged... those were just words.
"We were trying to structure it right for both parties involved, basically for the kids."
"I wanted to get back together, the separation wasn't bitter, there was no fighting," Mr White added.
"I gave her full disclosure on accounts and assets, and se was entitled to half of it. There were no problems over it."
Mr White couldn't explain why the couple broke up in the first place , saying: "I don't think I can answer why we broke up, I was all for it, she just wasn't satisfied with things."
