Man makes 'frank admission' over death of Lawrence Shaw

By Paul Higgins

The man accused of killing Laurence Shaw told police officers “I’m sorry for what I did,” a Court heard today (wed).

At Ballymena Magistrates Court Jackie McDowell (39), from the Upper Waterloo Road in Larne, say in a wheelchair outside the dock where he agreed he understood the single charge against him alleging that he murdered Mr Shaw on 8 October 2017.

A Detective constable, who said she believed he could connect McDowell to the charge, agreed with defence solicitor Andrew Kinney' s comments that McDowell had "accepted responsibility for the death of Mr Shaw and made a full and frank admission to everything that happened".

The officer also agreed the defendant had "expressed remorse, disgust at his own behaviour and visible distress".

Mr Shaw (56) was discovered dead inside the property in the Hillmount Gardens area of Larne last Monday afternoon.

His family believe his throat had been slit.

Mr Shaw was last seen alive on Sunday afternoon - a day before a friend discovered his body at his Hillmount Gardens bungalow in the Seacourt estate.

In court today (wed) Mr Kinney said it was “clearly a case that can be fast-tracked.”

As there was no application for bail, District Judge remanded McDowell into custody.

Remanding McDowell into custody to appear again on 16 November via videolink, District Judge Peter King noted McDowell's reply on the charge sheet: "I'm sorry for what I did."

He commented that the case does not need to stay in Magistrates Court "terribly long".