Guilty Plea In Balcony Manslaughter Case

A Belfast man has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of a teenager.

Mark Stephen Keenan, 28, has been told he faces "inevitable" time in prison.

Mr Keenan was originally charged with the murder of James Murray, 19, but was re-arraigned and pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

He was released on bail and will be sentenced after the summer break, leaving time for statements to be gathered.

Mr Murray died after falling from a ninth floor apartment balcony in King Street, Belfast.

Mr Keenan, from Rosapenna Walk in north Belfast, went to Antrim Road police station voluntarily to tell police he and Mr Murray had been in a fight.

He has said he does not know how the teenager fell from the balcony.

After the prosecution lawyer discussed the case with the Director of Public Prosecutions, a decision was taken to accept Keenan's guilty plea to manslaughter.

Judge Tom Burgess, the Recorder of Belfast, said: "I think it's fair to say that the background of the tragic and awful events on this particular night were complex, at times confused and there are clearly reasons for that."

Judge Burgess offered his condolences to Mr Murray’s family.

He said: "Nothing I will be doing by way of sentencing will ever bring back this young man nor does any sentence represent the loss that they have suffered and will have to live with for the rest of their lives - that's the awful, awful tragedy and they certainly have my deepest sympathies and condolences."

(NE)