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Michael McIlveen murder: Sectarian killer of schoolboy caught after going on the run

Christopher Kerr (right) was convicted of the sectarian killing of Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen (left)
Christopher Kerr (right) was convicted of the sectarian killing of Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen (left) Christopher Kerr (right) was convicted of the sectarian killing of Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen (left)

A MAN convicted of the sectarian murder of a Ballymena schoolboy has been apprehended in Antrim hours after he absconded from police custody.

Christopher Francis Kerr (32) escaped from custody while out of prison on temporary accompanied release in Belfast city centre.

Police warned the public not to approach the dangerous criminal. He was caught shortly before 9pm on Thursday.

He is serving a life sentence with a nine year tariff for the join enterprise murder of 15-year-old Michael McIllveen in 2006.

The 15-year-old, known as 'Mickey Bo' was killed in a sectarian attack after being chased by a gang and struck with a baseball bat in Ballymena town centre.

In 2009 both Kerr was jailed for life after a jury convicted him of the schoolboy's murder but the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction and ordered a retrial.

At that time Kerr, was ordered to serve at least 13 years behind bars.

During a second trial in 2013, Kerr pleaded guilty and was handed down a lesser tariff of nine years in prison.

Last year Kerr failed to have his conviction overturned after his lawyer argued that a revised law on joint enterprise cases rendered the conviction unsafe.