Killer should receive "toughest possible sentence"

A County Tyrone court has today heard that the man convicted of the murder of Strabane pensioner Attracta Harron, should receive the "toughest possible sentence."

Trevor Hamilton, 23, and from Concess Road in Sion Mills, is due to be sentenced for the murder of Mrs Harron on Friday.

A prosecution lawyer today told the court that Hamilton, subjected the retired librarian to "extreme violence and showed no remorse," while a defence lawyer for the accused said that his age should be taken into account when sentencing.

Attracta Harron, 65, disappeared in December 2003, after attending Mass in Lifford, County Donegal.

It is understood that Hamilton lured the mother of five into his car, where he subsequently took her to his home and battered her to death, with what is believed to have been an axe or a hatchet.

After continuous searches, her body was eventually found four months later in a makeshift grave in a riverbank bordering Hamilton's home.

At the time Hamilton was on parole after raping a woman in his home village three years earlier.

Dungannon Crown Court today heard how Hamilton went out looking for a victim and chose Mrs Harron because she was on her own.

The prosecution lawyer added that Mrs Harron was subjected to "extreme violence and terror" which resulted in her death.

When Mrs Harron's body was found, it was so badly decomposed that it was impossible to establish if she had been sexually assaulted, however the prosecution said considering his previous convictions which included rape, no other conclusion could be reached.

Commenting on the sentencing, the prosecution lawyer said: "We say that the starting point, which is the higher starting point, is bound to be very substantially upgraded because of the nature of the offence and the extremely high culpability of this defendant.

"It is therefore clear in this case that Mr Hamilton, despite assistance being offered to him, has learned nothing from the previous offending."

He added: "The gravity of the offending had increased and Hamilton had shown no concern for the feelings of his victims.

"The likelihood of re-offending appears to be quite high."

Defence lawyers will also be given the chance to put forward statements or any mitigating circumstances before sentencing on Friday.

The Crown Court Judge, Mr Justice McLaughlin, today said that was conducting pre-sentence hearings before determining how long Hamilton should stay in jail, however warned that there was a real possibility he would remain in jail for the rest of his life.

(EF)