McEntee pleads guilty to killing elderly couple

Thomas Scott McEntee - who is originally from Moorfield Court in Kilkeel but with a current address at the secure Shannon Unit in Knockbracken Healthcare Clinic in south Belfast - was originally charged with murdering Michael and Marjorie Cawdery last May.

Today, he denied murdering the couple - but admitted to their manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility.

The couple, who were both 83, died in their Upper Ramone Park home in Portadown on May 26 last year.

After McEntee admitted to the double manslaughter, the couple’s son-in-law Charles Little welcomed the plea and said “it has taken a lot of pressure off the family.”

McEntee appeared at Craigavon Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, where he was flanked by two members of staff from Knockbracken.

Defence counsel Kieran Mallon QC told Mr Justice Colton “I have an application to make this morning.” Mr Mallon said that after being furnished with two medical reports compiled on McEntee, “in light of that, I have an application that the accused be re-arraigned on all counts.”

A total of nine charges were put to him by the clerk of the court - including murdering Mr and Mrs Cawdery.

When he was asked to enter a plea to the two murder charges, McEntee said: “Not guilty of murder, guilty of manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.”

Crown barrister Peter Irvine QC told the court: “Those pleas are accepted by the prosecution.”

McEntee also pleaded guilty to a further five charges committed on May 26, 2017, namely breaking into Mr and Mrs Cawdery’s home with a knife and stealing a bank card and car keys, indecently exposing himself, stealing their Renault Kangoo and causing damage to it, and driving dangerously.

In addition he admitted two counts of theft on the same date, and also entered a guilty plea to breaking into a house at Derrybeg Lane in Newry and stealing a key on May 25, 2017.

Following McEntee’s admissions of guilt, Mr Mallon asked that pre-sentence reports be compiled, in addition to the psychiatric reports that have already been prepared.

Also ordered were Victim Impact Reports, which will set out the affect the violent incident has had on Mr and Mrs Cawdery’s loved ones.

Noting this will be a “difficult sentencing exercise”, Mr Justice Colton said he would hear the plea on Friday June 22, before he returned McEntee to the Shannon Clinic.