Man (29) pleads guilty to murder of Saintfield man

25 May 2022

A MAN has pleaded guilty to the murder of Saintfield man William ‘Pat’ McCormick almost three years ago.

David Gill (29), of no fixed abode, was due to go on trial this week with five co-accused on charges linked to the death of 55 year-old Mr McCormick — whose body was found in a lake in Ballygowan — in July 2019.

At Belfast Crown Court last week, defence counsel Ciaran Murphy QC told Mr Justice Scoffield that he had an application to have Gill re-arraigned on the single charge he faced of murdering the father-of-four.

When the charge of murdering Mr McCormick was put to Gill, he replied “guilty’’.

Following this, Mr Justice Scoffield told the defendant: “Mr Gill, you have been convicted on your own plea to the offence of murder contrary to common law. By law, there is only one sentence which is available to me in respect of that and that sentence is one of life imprisonment.

“I am imposing that sentence on you now. At a later hearing, I will set what is called your tariff and that is the minimum period you will have to serve in prison before you become eligible to be released on licence.”

Mr Justice Scoffield added: “I will not set the date for that hearing today as there are some reports we have to look at.’’

A pre-sentence report on Gill was ordered and is to be prepared by the Probation Board.

Gill was taken into custody to start his life sentence and his tariff hearing will take place at a later date.

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