'THIS WAS A CALLOUS, GRUESOME, MURDER..A SUSTAINED ATTACK ON A VULNERABLE WOMAN'.Byline: BY MICHAEL McHUGH Michael Hudson McHugh, AC QC, (born 1935) is a former justice of the High Court of Australia; the highest court in the Australian court hierarchy. Judicial Activity A REMORSELESS murderer who throttled a lonely pensioner PENSIONER. One who is supported by an allowance at the will of another. It is more usually applied to him who receives an annuity or pension from the government. to death was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison yesterday. Crucifix-wearing William James Stevenson, now 44, may have sexually abused his victim after she died in her South Belfast home 20 years ago, a court heard. He was handed a life sentence after DNA testing advances linked him to the murder of frail Lily Smyth. 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." She said the former civil servant, 66, was vulnerable and quiet, lived alone and went to church. Stevenson who lived in a flat opposite his victim in Finaghy was arrested and had his clothing seized in October 1988 but could not be charged. He was re-arrested in July 2007 after forensic advances were used by the police's Historical Enquiries Team The Historical Enquiries Team is a unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland set up in September 2005 to investigate the 3,269 unsolved murders committed during the Troubles (specifically between 1968 and 1998). . DNA DNA: see nucleic acid. DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid One of two types of nucleic acid (the other is RNA); a complex organic compound found in all living cells and many viruses. It is the chemical substance of genes. samples on Ms Smyth's tights and Stevenson's jacket connected him to the crime. Ms O'Kane added: "This was a cold, callous, gruesome, horrific murder. This was a sustained, violent attack on a vulnerable woman alone at home." Stevenson, who recently lived on the Coast Road, Ballygally, Co Antrim, received his sentence in impassive silence via videolink from prison. Mr Justice McLaughlin said: "Those who prey upon and harm the elderly, particularly those at home and alone, must face severe punishment. "Not content with killing Lily Smyth, you defiled de·file 1 tr.v. de·filed, de·fil·ing, de·files 1. To make filthy or dirty; pollute: defile a river with sewage. 2. her body. There was no remorse then and there is no remorse now." He later added: "Are there really any degrees of evil involved in this? There is a taboo almost, isn't there, about defiling a corpse." The victim's sister Angelina Robinson, 79, was in court to hear the verdict and said: "I am very pleased with the result." A police spokeswoman said the case demonstrated "robust case review systems". He added: "Even though a significant period of time has elapsed since the initial inquiry, a man has today gone to prison for the murder of a quiet, harmless older member of our community." KILLER WILLIAM STEVENSON AGE 44 JAILED 25 years for murdering and defiling corpse VICTIM LILY SMYTH AGE 66 KILLED at her flat in Finaghy, South Belfast, in October 1988 Not content with killing Lily Smyth you defiled her body MR JUSTICE McLAUGHLIN |
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