A MOTHER yesterday thanked her son's killer for sparing her the anguish and ordeal of a lengthy trial, after he pleaded guilty to murdering her schoolteacher son 18 months ago.
In a dramatic development in the Crown Court in Derry, Victor Kennedy (35), no fixed abode, from Portrush, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to murdering Michael McGinnis (37) whose body was found in a public park in Limavady, Co Derry, on July 7th, 2007.
On Tuesday Kennedy had denied murdering Mr McGinnis but admitted his manslaughter.
Prosecution barrister John Orr QC told Mr Justice Reg Weir that he would have to take instructions from the Public Prosecution Service to see whether he could accept Kennedy's plea.
Yesterday morning Mr Orr said the guilty plea to manslaughter was being rejected and he was prepared to proceed with a murder trial. However, before the case was opened Kennedy asked to be rearraigned on the murder charge and replied "guilty".
The victim's mother Gertie McGinnis and sister Christine Boldman then both mouthed the words "thank you" to Kennedy as he stood in the dock.
Kennedy nodded to the two women before he was returned to custody pending sentencing.
After the court hearing, Mrs Boldman confirmed to reporters that she and her mother had thanked Kennedy.
"Anyone who knows my mother will know that she is a deeply Christian, spiritual and forgiving person. She was thanking Victor Kennedy for admitting to Michael's death and for sparing her the anguish and ordeal of what would have been a lengthy trial.
"My mother just wanted an end to it all . . . She did not want to hear of the injuries he inflicted on her first-born son which would have come out during a trial. It has spared us many more agonies. It was very difficult for us to look at him after he admitted killing Michael, it was very difficult for us all. The last year and a half since Michael's death has been awful and traumatic for us all, but especially for my mother and she has now been relieved of further torture. We don't hate him, we don't have bitterness towards him.
"It has devastated the whole family. Victor Kennedy just did not take away Michael's life, he also took away the light and spirit of our family. My mother has a part of her life missing," she said.
Mr Justice Weir said he wanted the authors of pre-sentence and psychiatric reports to "direct their minds to this accused's dangerousness.
"It is one case in which there should be a psychiatric report because there is no explanation for this offence," the judge said.