A CO Down man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a Romanian fisherman.
At Downpatrick Crown Court, defence QC Gavan Duffy asked for the charges to be put again to Jason Carr and it was then that Carr, pleaded guilty to the killing in May 2018.
Carr, from Crew Hill Court in Ardglass, also confessed to assaulting Stefan Zait two days before the murder, stealing a bottle of vodka from him and causing criminal damage to the front door of a property.
Mr Zait, a 45-year-old Romanian fisherman died on May 24, two days after being taken to hospital with head injuries, including a blood clot to the brain and suspected fractured jaw.
He had been attacked near the Downpatrick Road and Strangford Road in the village.
He had been living in Northern Ireland for six years and worked on fishing vessels in Ardglass harbour.
Police said Mr Zait's family had been left "devastated" by his death.
Following Carr’s confessions, Judge Geoffrey Miller QC told the killer that for the offence of murder “there is only one sentence proscribed by law, that of life imprisonment.”
Remanding Carr into custody, the judge ordered various reports to be compiled and listed a tariff hearing, when he will set the minimum period Carr was stay in jail before being considered for release, for February 21.
Friends and relatives of Carr had filled the public gallery, many of them crying and shaking their heads at the court proceedings with one telling him “keep your head up Jason” as he was led away in handcuffs to the cells.
