Farmer admits playground shooting

Darragh Somers recovered from his wounds

A farmer has admitted that he shot a five-year-old boy in the head at a school playground near Enniskillen more than two years ago.

At a court hearing in June, Fergus Cleary, 73, of Ballydoolagh Road, Garvary, denied unlawfully and maliciously wounding Darragh Somers.

But it has emerged that at a hearing last week, he pleaded guilty. He will be sentenced on 13 November.

Darragh was critically injured and spent two months in hospital.

He was shot in the back of the head as he played at St Patrick's Primary School, Mullanaskea in April 2005.

Fergus Cleary changed his plea to guilty

Surgeons carried out two major operations to remove the .22 rifle bullet from his head.

Cleary was arrested two months after the shooting.

In a surprise move, his defence team requested the case come before a judge in Dungannon last week.

It was at that hearing, with no journalists or members of the Somers family present, that he pleaded guilty.

Darragh's father, Gerald Somers, said he had mixed emotions when he heard the news.

"Thankfully there's no trial - he's admitted it and put everything to rest, but at the same time he could have admitted it a long time ago," he said.