A MURDERER who throttled a pensioner to death was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison yesterday in Belfast.
William James Stevenson (44) may have sexually abused his victim after she died in her west Belfast home 20 years ago, a court heard. He was caught and handed a life sentence after DNA testing advances linked him to the murder of Lily Smyth (66).
Belfast Crown Court prosecutor Fiona O’Kane said: “She was beaten and choked and cut, appalling injuries that reflected a sustained attack, the degradation of her body.”
Stevenson, who lived in a flat opposite his victim in Finaghy, west Belfast, was arrested by police and had his clothing seized in October 1988, but could not be charged. He was rearrested in 2007 after forensic advances were used by the police’s Historical Enquiries Team (HET). He never showed regret and still denies involvement, the court heard.
DNA samples on Ms Smyth’s tights and the defendant’s jacket connected him to the murder.
The court heard how the victim, 5ft 3 inches tall, struggled with her then 24-year-old assailant, suffering defensive cuts to her hands.
Mr Justice Richard McLaughlin said: “The courts have a heavy duty to protect all of the community, but the duty to children and older people stands at the height of our responsibilities . . .
“Not content with killing Lily Smyth, you defiled her body. There was no remorse then, and there is no remorse now.”
The defendant failed to give any explanation of why his DNA was linked to the scene.
The judge asked: “Are there really any degrees of evil involved in this? There is a taboo almost, isn’t there, about defiling a corpse.”
There was no evidence of a motive and the judge said any effort to identify one would be speculation.
Defence barrister Barry Macdonald QC said his client had been in a stable relationship and his only other offence was breach of a non-molestation order.He said he intended to appeal against the verdict. – (PA)