MAN GETS 8YRS FOR KILLING PAL

Homeless addict 'left scene where dad-of-five lay dying'

- BY ASHLEIGH MCDONALD

A MAN who fatally attacked his friend then left the scene to play pool in a nearby bar was handed a minimum eight-year prison sentence yesterday.

As relatives of Paul Rowlands sat in the public gallery of Belfast Crown Court, they heard Mr Justice O'Hara describe how the 46-year old was beaten by Jason Murray, 42, and left to die in a car park.

The father-of-five was originally from Cambridge and had travelled to Northern Ireland a month prior to his death.

Murray, whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry, admitted unlawfully killing Mr Rowlands and the plea to manslaughter was accepted on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to mental abnormality.

In July 2022 both the deceased and the defendant were homeless and living in tents on the East Strand beach in Portrush, Co Antrim, in an existence described as “miserable” by Mr Justice O'Hara.

They spent their days drinking, fishing and taking drugs - and just after midnight on July 18, 2022, Murray attacked Mr Rowlands outside a block of apartments in the seaside town.

The attack was witnessed by members of the public and after emergency services were called to the scene, Mr Rowlands was pronounced dead at 2.53am.

In the aftermath of the attack, Murray left his friend dead or dying and walked to the Atlantic bar where he continued to drink and play pool.

He was heard muttering to himself “I kill people now, I'm a hitman” and while at the bar, Murray told another patron he was playing pool with a broken hand and said “you don't want to know why”.