Sentence due in manslaughter case

Teenager's sister fatally injured at their Coleraine home

A County Londonderry student who killed his 18-year-old sister with a cricket bat will be sentenced on Tuesday 6 February.

Bryn Boothby was convicted last November of the manslaughter of his sister, Tara, at their Coleraine home.

She died after being found with serious head injuries at their house in Fort Sandel Avenue on 19 May.

Boothby was initially charged with murder but the jury was discharged during his third murder trial after a judge ruled he could not get a fair trial, because he was medically unfit to give evidence.

Pair had argument

The teenager was freed on bail pending sentencing which was due to take place at Belfast Crown Court on Friday morning.

But after hearing a lengthy plea of mitigation on Bryn Boothby's behalf, the judge said such a difficult case required careful consideration of the various reports submitted.

He said sentencing would now take place on Tuesday.

During last year's trial, the court heard that Boothby beat his sister to death as she sat watching television.

It was said that the teenager and his sister had argued over her decision to quit college and she began to verbally abuse him which "cut him very deep".

Boothy told the court he "lost his mind" after seeing the cricket bat in his wardrobe and hit her with it.

The admission came after Boothby initially told police a masked intruder had killed his sister.