Applause echoed around the High Court as three murderers - who stabbed a Catholic teen to death 50 years ago - failed to overturn their convictions.
The mother of Francis Rice, who attended the court on Friday, spoke of her relief as her son’s killers lost their appeal.
Francis Rice (17) was abducted and killed in Castlewellan, Co Down in May 1975.
The tragic teenager was abducted and stabbed before his body was dumped in a laneway.
The brutal murder was later claimed by the Protestant Action Force - a cover name for the UVF.
Three men were later convicted of his murder.
Lawyers for the three, George Kirkpatrick and brothers Eric and Cyril Cullen, had claimed they were wrongly convicted and based their case on disputed confessions.
Mr Kilpatrick and Cyril Cullen have both since died.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission had referred the case back to the Court of Appeal over concerns about the credibility of three RUC men who questioned them in custody.
However, senior judges at Belfast High Court threw the appeal out on Friday.
The teenager’s mother Teresa Rice welcomed the outcome.
“Today confirms what we have known all along for the past 50 years,” she said.
“This comes as a massive relief for me and my family.
“It’s good that we can now get some long overdue closure.”
Her solicitor Kevin Winters, of KRW Law, said “there was a huge presence of family and their supporters from Castlewellan in the court”.
“Their massive round of applause delivered immediately after the ruling in court reflected a collective relief all round,” he added.
“This family have battled for years to make sure and do all they could to preserve this conviction.”
Mr Winters spoke of the Rice family’s commitment to the memory of their loved one.
“They felt they owed it to Francis and his memory to keep it secure,” he said.
“They want to put on record their thanks to the PPS and the hard work put into contesting this challenge.”
