Family of young woman, 22, murdered by her sadistic boyfriend issue urgent plea

The family of a young woman murdered by a controlling and violent 'monster' have told of their heartbreak. Elinor O'Brien, 22, from Salford, was stabbed to death by her 45-year-old boyfriend Kevin Mannion after a row at his Manchester city centre apartment.

They argued after Elinor questioned Mannion, who had told her that a woman he'd also been seeing had revealed she was pregnant. Mannion stabbed her to the groin at the Great Northern Tower off Peter Street, and Elinor died three days later. He called 999 and paramedics rushed to the scene.

But within half an hour of calling the emergency services, Mannion called his solicitor and asked him to be 'available'. Two days before the fatal knifing, Mannion had stabbed Elinor to the breast.

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Mannion, of Watson Street, Manchester, faces a life sentence after being found guilty of murder, wounding with intent and controlling or coercive behaviour. He will be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court next week. Elinor’s cousin, 23-year-old Mollie Lune, described Mannion as a 'monster' and urged victims of domestic abuse to come forward to police.

“Elinor was a really fun person, she was very open and kind," Mollie said. "It is horrendous to think that this thug controlled her and bullied her to the point where she felt she could not walk away from him safely.

“She kept the whole ordeal a secret, which was not like her. We don’t want her murder to become another statistic.

"In her name, I want to plead with women to walk away from abuse. Please make that first step, before it is too late.

“Elinor was absolutely beautiful, stunning, she had her whole life ahead of her, and it was cruelly