Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
I did kill schoolboy Oisin
Student admits role in death of 13-yr-old pupil
A MAN yesterday admitted the playground killing of a 13-year-old schoolboy.
Francis Mcdermott, 20, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Belcoo teenager Oisin Mcgrath who died nearly three years ago.
At a hearing in Dungannon, listed only as a mention, he admitted the unlawful killing of the boy.
Oisin died in hospital on February 9, 2015, from head injuries, four days after a row over a football in the grounds of St Michael’s College, Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, where he and Mcdermott, a 17-year-old sixth-former at the time, were both pupils.
Members of the Mcgrath family, including the schoolboy’s parents Nigel and Sharon, were in the Crown Court yesterday to watch Mcdermott as he acknowledged his guilt.
Defence counsel Martin Rodgers told Judge Stephen Fowler that he had “an application for your honour to direct that the defendant be rearraigned on the one count on the bill of indictiment”.
The clerk put the charge of manslaughter to the engineering university student, dressed in a dark suit, who replied: “Guilty.” Mr Rodgers then successfully applied for Mcdermott, of Camphill Park, Newtownbutler, Co Fermanagh, to be released on his continuing bail of £500 while pre-sentence and other reports on him are compiled.
Freeing him Judge Fowler warned the accused that being granted bail was no indication of “how I will deal with this case ultimately”.
Prosecutor Ciaran Murphy said it was his intention to obtain victim impact statements from the Mcgrath family on how his death has affected them. Oisin’s family then left court not wishing to say anything or to comment on the proceedings.
In the days following the teenager’s death it was reported that his family had allowed his organs to be used to save the lives of five other people.
It also emerged his parents later set up a trust in their son’s name and memory, aimed at raising awareness of organ donation and brain injury research. Mcdermott will be sentenced late next month.