Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
MAN ADMITS MURDER OF FATHER OF 2
36yr-old jailed for life over ‘traumatic’ killing
A MAN was jailed for life yesterday after he pleaded guilty to the murder of a labourer two years ago.
Christopher Keenan, 36, will find out next month how long he will serve behind bars without parole for the murder of Anthony Mcerlain.
The 48-year-old father of two was found dead at a flat in Ballycastle, Co Antrim, on January 28, 2016.
Police said at the time the victim had suffered a “traumatic and frightening death”.
Keenan appeared at Antrim Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, and entered a plea of guilty to the murder charge.
Mr Justice Colton sentenced him to a mandatory term of life in prison and remanded him in custody ahead of the preparation of a pre-sentence report.
Keenan will appear again at the same court on May 4 when a tariff hearing will be held to determine how long he should spend in custody before being released.
In November last year his uncle, John Keenan, 51, also of Broombeg View, Ballycastle, walked free from court after Mr Justice Colton ruled he should not stand trial for Mr Mcerlain’s murder.
His defence lawyers argued he had “no case to answer” as he was asleep during the time when Mr Mcerlain was assaulted and played no part in the attack on him.
The prosecution contended that circumstanial evidence in the case, along with “lies” Keenan told to police at interview, were sufficient grounds to put him on trial in front of a properlydirected jury.
However, Mr Justice Colton said that after carefully considering submissions from both the defence and prosecution, he had decided there was “insufficent evidence to put the defendant on trial” and ordered him to be set free.