Man faces sentence for assault after murder charge is dropped

A LIMAVADY man will be sentenced next month for an assault linked to the death of Darren Mcgurk after it emerged a charge of murder has been dropped.

Mr Mcgurk (23) died four days after an altercation at a house in Glenbeg Walk, Limavady, in March 2019.

Karl Mark John Watson, from Dowland Road in the town, was initially charged with murdering Mr Mcgurk on March 21, 2019.

At the time he was in a relationship with Mr Mcgurk’s half-sister.

The 34-year old window cleaner was also charged with perverting the course of justice two days later, namely that “during the course of a telephone call made from a police custody suite, he instructed a person to relay a message to a witness that the said witness cease in assisting police with their investigation into the killing of Darren Mcgurk”.

Watson denied the murder charge and was due to stand trial. However, due to information contained in pathology reports a decision was made not to proceed with this charge.

The accused appeared at a remote hearing at Belfast Court Court yesterday via a video-link with his solicitor’s office.

He pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and unlawfully and maliciously attempting to cause grievous bodily harm to Mr Mcgurk with intent.

Crown prosecutor John Orr QC told Mr Justice O’hara the murder charge should be left on the books.

It was confirmed that the Crown will be submitting a victim impact statement from Mr Mcgurk’s family, and a pre-sentence report will be compiled on Watson.

Watson, who served around a year in custody before being granted bail, was released on continuing bail ahead of sentencing on February 15.