Wesley Vance changes plea to guilty in body-in-boot murder case

A man has dramatically pleaded guilty to the murder of Kyle Neil during a 'frenzied'' knife attack in Co Down over a year ago.
By The Newsroom
Published 24th May 2016, 18:09 BST
Updated 24th May 2016, 23:05 BST
Murder victim Kyle Neil, left, and Wesley Vance, right, who has pleaded guilty to the killingMurder victim Kyle Neil, left, and Wesley Vance, right, who has pleaded guilty to the killing
Murder victim Kyle Neil, left, and Wesley Vance, right, who has pleaded guilty to the killing

Wesley Harry Vance, 27, formerly of Church Gate Studios in Comber, was due to stand trial accused of murdering Mr Neil following a party at his flat.

A jury of six men and six women were sworn in on Monday but had not been formally put in charge of the defendant.

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But on Tuesday afternoon at Downpatrick Crown Court, his defence QC John McCrudden asked trial judge Mr Justice Colton for “Mr Vance to be re-arraigned on the first count’’.

Addressing the defendant standing in the dock of the court, the clerk said: “On application of your counsel and with permission of his Lordship I have to re-arraign you on the first count on the bill of indictment of murder contrary to Common Law, that you, on April 12, 2015, murdered Kyle Neil. How say you plead. Guilty or not guilty?’’

Vance replied: “Guilty.’’

There were gasps from the public gallery and members of Mr Neil’s family openly wept at his change of plea to guilty after previously denying the murder charge, claiming he had acted in self-defence.

Mr Justice Colton told Vance: “Now that you have pleaded guilty to murder, the mandatory sentence that I must impose is one of a life sentence.’’

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Friends of Mr Neil called out “murderer’’ and “scumbag’’ as he was being returned to the court cells.

The trial judge ordered the preparation of a pre-sentence report ahead of sentencing.

Mr Justice Colton said that a tariff hearing on how long Vance will spend in prison without parole will take place on June 27 at Belfast Crown Court.

Prosecuting counsel Liam McCollum QC said the trial of Vance’s co-accused Stephanie Todd would still proceed.

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The 26-year-old of Russell Court in south Belfast denies two charges of assisting offenders by allegedly driving the Fiesta car with Mr Neil’s body in the boot from Mill Street, Comber to Windsor Road in Belfast on April 12, 2015 and driving the car at the time with excess alcohol.

It is alleged Mr Neil, 23, who was living in Bangor, Co Down at the time but was originally from the Ballysillan area of north Belfast, sustained mutliple knife wounds in the attack which was described by police at the time as “frenzied’’.

His remains were allegedly then placed in the boot of a Ford Fiesta car which was found abandoned on Windsor Road, south Belfast.

Related topics:ColtonBelfast