Two teenagers jailed over 'wicked' murder
THERE were angry and emotional scenes in a Belfast courtroom yesterday as the teenager who plunged a screwdriver into the head of greengrocer Harry Holland was told he will serve a minimum of 12 years of his life jail term for murder.
As Stephen McKee, 18, was led from the dock at the Crown Court, family and friends of the murdered pensioner reacted angrily as they held up pictures.
Uniformed police and court security staff formed a human barrier between Mr Holland’s family and the relatives of McKee, Patrick Crossan, 18, and a 17-year-old girl who cannot be named.
As Mr Justice Weir delivered his verdict on the events of September 12, 2007 when Mr Holland was killed, McKee was seen wiping tears from his eyes and after being jailed for four years for affray, Crossan said “sorry” to Mr Holland’s family as he was led to the cells.
While the families slung insults, the teenage girl sat weeping in the body of the court, flanked by her solicitor who comforted her.
Earlier Mr Justice Weir had told McKee, who admitted the murder and is from the Ballymurphy Road in Belfast, that his “wicked crime” in killing the “well-known and much-loved” Mr Holland had left his family “shattered”.
He told McKee, who also pleaded guilty to affray and a series of other charges including possessing the screwdriver, making threats to kill and assaults, that he will receive no remission on the 12-year term which is the absolute minimum he will spend behind bars and that it will be for the parole board to decide “if and when” he is to be released.
Outlining the facts of the case, Mr Justice Weir said that on the night he was killed, Mr Holland had been at a local pub quiz but that on his way back home, “he had the great misfortune to encounter you three” who had been drinking in and around the Ballymurphy and Falls Park area.
The judge said it must be concluded that Mr Holland saw the three acting suspiciously and had decided to investigate by getting into his van and driving around the area.
As he drove past, McKee struck the van and Mr Holland stopped and got out in the “quiet residential” Norfolk Drive area.
A neighbour who went outside saw McKee standing in his driveway, “threatening to kill the driver of the van and moving in an aggressive and agitated manner”.
As Mr Holland tried to get back to the “relative safety” of his van, the 17-year-old girl pushed the driver’s door closed against him and McKee struck him on the head with the yellow-handled screwdriver.
Mr Holland was rushed to hospital but despite medical efforts to save him, was pronounced dead 22 hours later.
Both Crossan, from Willowbank Gardens, Belfast and the teenage girl had originally been charged with the murder as well but they both pleaded guilty to a charge of affray while Crossan also pleaded to possessing a knife.
Mr Justice Weir handed down a four-year custodial term to Crossan after hearing that he was unwilling to accept any probation help. The judge told the 17-year-old girl that her her behaviour on the night had been “utterly disgraceful” but that her involvement was less serious. The judge imposed a two-year probation programme.
After the sentencing, the detective who led the murder inquiry, Detective Chief Inspector Glenn Wright, paid tribute to members of the west Belfast community for their help in ensuring those responsible for the murder could be brought to justice.
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Weather for Belfast
Tuesday 29 May 2012
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