Man admits aunt's attempted murder

Catherine Murray was attacked at her isolated farm

A man has pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of his great aunt in her isolated County Down farmhouse.

Catherine Murray, 71, was beaten, throttled and stabbed before being left lying unconscious at her isolated home on the Carrickmannon Road in Ballygowan on 28 February last year.

Jason Murray, 22, from Listoder Park in Saintfield, initially told Downpatrick Crown Court that he was tucked up in bed at home when the attack happened.

However, on Tuesday afternoon he admitted carrying it out.

The court heard that Murray was seen by witnesses hitching a lift to Ballygowan.

Catherine Murray said she intended to remain at her home despite attack

The prosecuting QC said he was even given a lift by a former workmate to the town but later got a friend to tell police he was with him in Saintfield.

Counsel said Murray had lied about his movements "in an attempt to deflect the police investigation away from himself".

The jury of nine men and three women also heard that fibres from a coat used to cover a window at the isolated farm, and blood stains, matching blood from Ms Murray were found on a pair of black woollen gloves identified by Murray's mother as belonging to him.

The prosecuting QC said Mr Murray could not explain how his great aunt's blood got on his gloves.

'Spirited'

The court heard that although frail and vulnerable, Miss Murray was a woman of a "pretty strong spirit - a woman who knows her own mind".

Counsel said it was possibly due to this "robust spirit" that she recovered from the attack.

Although registered as being partially blind, with the aid of glasses Ms Murray was still able to look after chickens, ducks and two calves on her isolated holding.

On the afternoon of the attack she was feeding her stock and had just returned to the store house to get more feed when confronted by a man.

Counsel said Ms Murray let out a shout, something like "Oh God," before being grabbed by the throat and throttled.

Trying to free herself she clutched at her throat to feel gloved hands, before her glasses were knocked off and she fell unconscious to the ground, the prosecuting QC said.

He added that she awoke some time later lying on the floor, locked into her outhouse with pain in her throat and difficulty in breathing.

But despite not having her glasses, he added, she managed to knock a panel from the bottom of the door to free herself and get to her house to telephone for help.

Jason Murray was remanded in custody, awaiting the preparation of pre-sentencing reports, and will be sentenced at a later date.