Pat McCormick: David Gill pleads guilty to murder of Saintfield man

Pat McCormick's body was found in a lake in the Ballygowan area in July 2019

A man has pleaded guilty to murdering a father of four whose body was found in a lake in County Down in July 2019.

David Gill, 29, of no fixed abode, was due to go on trial next week with five co-accused on charges arising out of the death of William 'Pat' McCormick.

On Friday, Gill was re-arraigned on the single charge he faced of murdering the 55-year-old Saintfield man.

When the charge of murdering Mr McCormick was put to Gill by the court clerk, he replied: "Guilty.''

Following his guilty plea at Belfast Crown Court, Mr Justice Scoffield told the defendant: "Mr Gill, you have been convicted on your own plea to the offence of murder contrary to common law.

"By law, there is only one sentence which is available to me in respect of that and that sentence is one of life imprisonment.

"I am imposing that sentence on you now. At a later hearing I will set what is called your tariff and that is the minimum period you will have to serve in prison before you become eligible to be released on licence."

The judge ordered a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Gill by the Probation Board for Northern Ireland.

Following the brief hearing, Gill was taken into custody to start his life sentence and his tariff hearing will take place at a later date.

Mr McCormick was last seen alive in Comber, County Down, on 30 May 2019.

His body was found in a lake in the Ballygowan area on 10 July of that year.