Northern Ireland

Fourth person admits charges arising from clashes which resulted in death of Christopher Meli

Three people are charged with murdering Christopher Meli in December 2015
Three people are charged with murdering Christopher Meli in December 2015 Three people are charged with murdering Christopher Meli in December 2015

A FOURTH person has yesterday admitted to charges arising from violent altercations in west Belfast which resulted in the death of Christopher Meli.

The 20-year old father-of-one was beaten to death on a pathway known as Doc's Lane in Twinbrook on the evening of December 12, 2015.

A number of people were arrested and charged with offences linked to the murder, and with charges connected to other violent confrontations in the area on the night in question.

At Belfast Crown Court yesterday Gary Samuel Lewis, of Thompson House, Antrim Road in north Belfast, was re-arraigned on charges he previously denied.

The 21-year-old pleaded guilty to fighting and making an affray on that date and assaulting Ryan Morris causing him actual bodily harm.

Prosecution counsel Neil Connor QC told the court: "Given those guilty pleas, I have an application for the remaining two counts (of attempted grievous bodily harm) to be left on the books in the usual terms.''

Mr Justice Colton granted the application and said the remaining two charges "will not be proceeded with without the leave of this court or the Court of Appeal''.

Defence counsel Richard Greene QC said he was in possession of a number of medical reports on the accused which would be made available for the sentencing hearing.

Mr Justice Colton said he would adjourn sentencing Lewis until after the trial of a further four accused and released him on continuing bail.

Last month, two other co-acccused pleaded guilty to a new charge on the bill of indictment

Aaron Stilges (21) of Laurelvale in Crumlin, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Stephen Woods on December 12, 2015.

He further admitted to a charge of affray. Other charges he previously faced and denied were "left on the books''

Daniel McGrath, also 21, from Thornhill Crescent in Dunmurry, west Belfast, pleaded guilty to affray.

Like Stilges, other charges that were levelled against McGrath have also now been "left on the books''.

A total of eight people were charged with, and denied, offences linked to the fatal incident.

With the admissions yesterday by Lewis, four defendants are now due to stand trial next week at Belfast Crown Court.

Three of them have been charged with, and deny, murdering Mr Meli.