Jordan McClintock jailed for murdering Jason Lee Martin at party

Jason Lee Martin was murdered at a house in Ballymena during a party

A 19-year-old man has been jailed for life for murdering Jason Lee Martin during a drinks party.

Jordan Bradley Jake McClintock had previously denied murdering Mr Martin, but he changed his plea on Wednesday.

He stabbed 31-year-old Mr Martin in the leg, severing his femoral artery and causing him to bleed to death despite frantic attempts to save him.

The minimum term McClintock will have to serve before being considered for parole will be set in the new year.

McClintock attacked father-of-two Mr Martin on 27 June 2020 at the party in Ballymena.

The court was told one of the other people at the party tore his shirt to shreds to fashion make-shift tourniquets and to bandage the stab wounds, while McClintock dropped the 10in knife and fled.

McClintock, of Orkney Drive in Ballymena, had previously admitted manslaughter of Mr Martin by reason of "diminished responsibility" based on a doctor's report which found he was suffering from a "substantial abnormality of mental function" at the time of the stabbing.

But his consultant psychiatrist later said he could no longer stand over this finding.

Following this, the murder charge was put to McClintock again on Wednesday and he pleaded guilty.

Following the guilty plea, the judge directed the jury of seven women and four men to convict McClintock of the murder.

He told McClintock a tariff hearing would be held in the new year to rule on the minimum period he must serve before he can be considered for parole.