McCormick killing accused will seek compassionate bail to visit sick sister
AN alleged killer will ask to be freed on compassionate bail to visit his “very ill sister”, a judge heard yesterday.
With 26-year-old David Gill appearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court via video-link from prison, defence solicitor Darren Duncan said yesterday that he had intended to lodge a compassionate bail application, but that a report from a neurological consultant had not been prepared in time.
Gill, from Ballyglighorn Road in Newtownards, is in custody accused of the murder of William ‘Pat’ McCormick on May 30 this year.
His co-accused, 21-year-old Lesley-Ann Dodds, from Mountcollyer Avenue in Belfast, is on bail facing charges of aiding and abetting Mr McCormick’s murder and perverting the course of justice.
Her case is not listed again until November.
Nothing about the circumstances surrounding Mr McCormick’s death was discussed yesterday, but previous courts have heard claims that Dodds, who was allegedly in a relationship with Mr McCormick while being engaged to Gill, lured the victim to an address in Comber where he was last seen alive on May 30.
The 55-year-old father-of-four replied to a text from Dodds saying: “I think you’re setting me up for a kicking.”
He was never seen again and his body was recovered from a lake in Ballygowan on July 9. Post-mortem examinations revealed he had suffered multiple rib fractures. After seeing Gill’s van parked close to the flat, Mr McCormick rang police to say that he was in fear for his own safety, according to the Crown, which conceded that while Dodds wasn’t at the flat during the attack, Gill was recorded on CCTV arriving about an hour before McCormick.
It is also the contention of the police and PPS that the following day Gill was seen coming and going from the flat, and it was then that he allegedly disposed of the body.
In court yesterday Mr Duncan initially told Deputy District Judge Steven Keown that a consultant neurologist said he had not had time to complete a report on Gill’s sister’s medical position in order to facilitate a compassionate bail application.
A short time later, however, after the video-link list had been completed, defence counsel Chris Holmes said the report on the “very ill” woman was now ready, so he asked the judge to list the application for Monday at Downpatrick Magistrates Court.
Judge Keown agreed to the request.