Teenage girl charged with manslaughter

A 14-year-old girl was today charged with the manslaughter of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in a river at a marina in Co Antrim…

A 14-year-old girl was today charged with the manslaughter of a 14-year-old boy who drowned in a river at a marina in Co Antrim nearly two years ago.

Colin Kitchener drowned at Drumaheglis Marina on May 21st, 2000. The marina is owned by Ballymoney council.

Twenty-six-year-old Charles McCausland, also drowned in the incident after he jumped into the river in an attempt to save the boy.

At a hearing today, the girl was charged with the manslaughter of the boy. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she understood the charge that was put to her today at the North Antrim Juvenile Court in Coleraine.

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She is to return to Ballymena Crown Court at a later date.

At the time of the incident, a huge search involving boats and a helicopter was launched to find the bodies of the two people who drowned.

Their bodies were eventually recovered after a five-hour search. At the time, politicians in the North called for an inquiry into the deaths.

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins

Pádraig Collins a contributor to The Irish Times based in Sydney