Man 'now admits fatal crash'

Debbie McComb, 15, was killed on the Springfield Road in Belfast

A man appealing his conviction for killing a 15-year-old in a road crash has now admitted the crime, the Court of Appeal has heard.

Harry Marley, 21, of Colinward Street, Belfast, was in court on Friday to hear a date for his appeal when the dramatic developments emerged.

Marley was jailed for nine years for killing Debbie McComb in a stolen car on the Springfield Road in March 2002, and received a further three years to be served consecutively for other offences committed on the same day.

Crown lawyer Ken McMahon QC told the court that something had come to his notice on Friday which might require an application to receive fresh evidence and could therefore delay the appeal.

The Lord Chief Justice, Sir Brian Kerr, asked: "What's the nature of the fresh evidence?" and was told by Mr McMahon: "An admission made by the accused post-trial."

Defending barrister Declan Fee QC said he understood the Crown had been aware of this since August last year and the defence had not yet been given the details.

The Lord Chief Justice said he would allow four weeks for an application to admit the new evidence and, in any event, the appeal would go ahead on 6 December.

'Hopeful'

Speaking afterwards, Debbie's mother Mary McComb said she would only believe the claim that Marley had admitted causing her daughter's death after his appeal was heard.

"It is not a matter for celebration because nothing will bring Debbie back," she said.

"But we are hopeful that justice will be done eventually and that the man convicted of taking her life will serve every day that he was sentenced to."

Mary McComb and her husband Jim are part of the group Families Bereaved through Car Crime, which earlier this week urged the Lord Chancellor to ensure judges in Northern Ireland used their full sentencing powers when dealing with so-called joyriding incidents.

Last year, the government introduced changes to the legislation which increased the maximum sentence for so-called joyriders.

The plans included the introduction of two new offences of "aggravated vehicle taking" and "causing death by aggravated vehicle taking".

The new laws, which will be introduced in the province later this year, mean joyriders can be jailed for up to 14 years.