Murder of Tony Browne: Man ‘unconscious’ after stab wound

A man was “heavily drunk” and “unconscious” in his bed when he was murdered by his girlfriend, a court heard.

54-year-old Tony Browne was at home when he was stabbed by 35-year-old Polish citizen Wiktoria Maksymowicz.

She had admitted to three crimes “related to domestic violence,” which she had previously denied.

Details of the case were discussed for the first time on Thursday.

While Mr Browne’s relatives, including his twin daughters, sat in the public gallery, Maksymowicz was led in handcuffs to the dock at Laganside Crown Court.

Twins Bobbi-Leigh and Shannon McIlwaine previously said their father was a “gentle and kind soul.”

Maksymowicz, with an address in Woodside Park, pleaded guilty to murdering Mr Browne on October 14, 2022 and possessing cannabis on the same day.

She also admitted possessing a knife on a Translink bus and attacking Mr Browne the day before his murder, October 13, 2022.

Prosecutor Frank O’Donoghue KC told the court that “before meeting Maksymowicz, Mr Browne had been sober for approximately ten years”.

The court heard that on the evening before the murder, one of Mr Browne’s nephews had called him at home.

He said they had “both been drinking and were in good spirits.”

Mr O’Donoghue said: “While the three were drinking in the living room, the defendant went into the kitchen” and returned with a “silver table knife” and “then stabbed the deceased just above his right knee”.

This happened while Mr Browne was sitting on a chair in his boxer shorts and resulted in a puncture of his skin.

The prosecutor said Browne’s nephew was “in complete shock” and the attack came “out of nowhere.”

The nephew recalled that his uncle “didn’t really react” and Maksymowicz cleaned the wound and then applied a bandage.

The court was then questioned about the night of the murder.

Maksymowicz called 999 and when paramedics arrived, she was “in a distressed state and holding a tea towel around Mr Browne’s neck.”

Mr O’Donoghue said Maksymowicz was arrested in Woodside Park and as he was being taken to the police station she said: “Tell me you’re going to help him. Stupid vodka.”

The court was told that she went on to say: “‘I tried to save him,’ ‘I tried to protect him,’ and ‘I didn’t kill him.'”

Judge O’Hara said he wanted time to consider what he had heard and would impose the tariffs on July 3.