Pat McCormick: David Gill jailed for body-in-bin murder

A antheral who murdered a County Down begetter of four, disposed of his assemblage successful a wheelie bin and dumped it successful a water indispensable service astatine slightest 16 years successful situation earlier being considered for release.

Pat McCormick's assemblage was discovered adjacent Ballygowan six weeks aft helium was past seen connected CCTV successful Comber.

David Gill, 30, of nary fixed abode, was sentenced connected Thursday aft admitting the execution of the 55-year-old.

Five radical were sentenced successful transportation with Mr McCormick's murder.

Speaking to media gathered extracurricular the tribunal successful Belfast afterwards, Mr McCormick's 18-year-old girl Morgan paid tribute to her dad.

"We've been stripped of our father," she said.

"My dada volition ne'er get to spot immoderate of america turn up oregon get married. He'll ne'er get to clasp his aboriginal grandkids.

"We permission present contiguous with memories of our dada who has been taken from us. However those memories are filled with emotion and happiness, and they're memories that we'll each clasp connected to forever."

Mr McCormick was lured to a level successful Comber connected the evening of 30 May 2019.

The 55-year-old believed helium was going to conscionable Gill's fiancée Lesley Ann Dodds, with whom helium had had a little relationship.

Dodds, 25, from Queen Victoria Gardens successful Belfast, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years aft admitting manslaughter, with fractional of that word to beryllium served successful prison.

Mr McCormick had received messages from Dodds' Facebook account, saying she had near Gill and asking him to travel to her flat.

Instead, erstwhile Mr McCormick arrived, lone Gill was astatine the flat.

The justice astatine Belfast Crown Court said Mr McCormick had been the unfortunate of a "brutal and sustained assault".

The tribunal heard his origin of decease was 24 rib fractures owed to blunt unit trauma.

Mr McCormick was described successful tribunal arsenic being "devoted to his family, thoughtful, gentle and caring".

Three different men admitted withholding accusation successful narration to Mr McCormick's murder.

William Gill, 43, from Terrace View successful Waringstown, who is Dodds' brother, was sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful prison, suspended for 2 years.

The different men - Andrew Leslie, 24, from Mourne Crescent successful Moneyrea, and Jonathon Richard Leslie Montgomery, 24, from Castle Espie Road, Comber - were sentenced to 15 months, suspended for 2 years.

Addressing the 3 men, the justice said their actions had near "a stain connected your quality successful this gruesome and atrocious affair".

Morgan McCormick said "no magnitude of jailhouse clip volition ever bring our dada back" but said contiguous is "the commencement of justness for me, my brothers, my sister, my mum, my dad's friends and family".

Speaking aft the sentences were issued, Det Insp Jennifer Rea said her thoughts were with Mr McCormick's family.

"Those weeks of waiting, wondering and hoping were a torturous and prolonged nightmare for a loving household and, of course, their sadness doesn't extremity today," she said.

"It's implicit 4 years connected present and their heartache understandably remains."

Ms Rea said Gill and Dodds had been held accountable for their actions "that were planned, cowardly and irreversible".

The elder serviceman thanked members of the nationalist successful Comber and adjacent areas for their enactment during the execution investigation.