Pensioner killer given 25 years

Elizabeth Smyth was murdered in her home

A 44-year-old man has been told he must serve at least 25 years of a life sentence for the murder of his neighbour 20 years ago.

William James Stevenson, of Coast Road in Ballygally, was convicted in October of "the cold, callous and horrific murder" of 66-year-old Elizabeth Smyth.

She was beaten, strangled and sexually assaulted in her flat in Finaghy, south Belfast, in 1988.

The murder victim's niece, Phyllis Montgomery, welcomed the sentence.

"It is a great result, very pleased," she said outside the court.

"The family circle are just glad that it is finished and over and done with.

"It is terrible hearing all the the facts, but at least he has got what he deserved."

Stevenson was a neighbour who lived in a flat opposite the victim's.

He had been questioned at the time but was only caught after a police review team applied modern forensic tests to DNA samples collected at the time.

Belfast Crown Court was told Ms Smyth had been subjected to a violent and sustained attack and her body had been violated apparently after death.

Ms Smyth, a retired civil servant known to her friends as Lily, had been due to attend a harvest service with her local church choir on 9 October 1988.

When she failed to show up and after several unsuccessful attempts were made to reach her by phone, two friends called at her flat where her body was discovered.

A prosecution lawyer said the dead woman's family had been left deeply affected not only by the manner of her killing but because they still did not know why it had been carried out.

Stevenson's lawyer said his client still maintained his innocence and intended to appeal.