Ex-partner guilty of laundrette murder

Published Tuesday, 03 July 2012
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It took a jury at Antrim Crown Court just over an hour to convict the killer of a woman working in a laundrette, who was shot at point blank range in Portstewart.

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    Laundrette murder verdict
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Fred McClenaghan, 49, walked into the laundrette where Marion Millican worked armed with an antique shotgun in March last year. The 51-year-old mother-of-four died from a fatal injury to her chest.

On Tuesday the jury of eleven found McClenaghan, from Broad Street, Magherafelt, unanimously guilty of murder and possession of a firearm with intent.

He had denied murdering his former lover, who had ended their relationship several months earlier.

During the trial at Antrim Crown Court, the jury were told that McClenaghan had repeatedly told counsellors of his wishes and dreams of wanting to kill himself and his ex-girlfriend and that if he could not have her, then nobody would.

The court was told that McClenaghan had been violent in the past towards Mrs Millican, once having tried to strangle her and on another occasion he knocked her out.

Judge Corinne Philpott QC outlined several options open to the jury regarding the verdicts they could return including unlawful manslaughter or manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

McClenaghan's defence had claimed the killing was a tragic accident during an attempt to take his own life but the prosecution maintained he had gone into the workplace to end the life of his former lover.

McClenaghan showed no emotion as the verdict was announced but waved at relatives in the public gallery before being led away.

A daughter of Mrs Millican broke down and wept and, outside the court, her relatives hugged each other.

She said: "We are very pleased with verdict."

She added she would reserve further comments until the sentencing except to say her mother was sadly missed.

Mrs Millican's workmate and friend Pamela Henry who witnessed the fatal shooting was also present for the verdict.

Outside the court she described her friend as "a wonderful work colleague, mate, wife, mother, aunt and granny."

Mrs Millican had split from her husband Ken in 2009 - he was also in court on Tuesday.

He didn't make any comment but he had told the trial that he and his wife had been trying to rekindle their 34 year marriage in the months before the shooting.

Judge Corinne Philpott QC told McClenaghan he would be jailed for life and would fix the minimum tariff he would have to serve before being considered for release on parole in September.

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