Northern Ireland

Odhran Kelly: Woman charged with moving body now facing murder charge

Victim’s badly beaten and burned body was discovered outside flats in Lurgan

Odhran Kelly (PSNI)
Odhran Kelly

A woman accused of removing the body of Odhran Kelly has been charged with his murder instead.

The badly beaten and burned body of the 23-year-old nursing assistant was discovered outside flats on Edward Street in Lurgan on December 3 last year.

Andrea Catherine Stevenson (43) has been charged with assisting an offender by removing his body.

Her case was listed at Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday with papers confirming she now faces a murder charge.

Five people, two men and three woman are facing charges in relation to the killing of Mr Kelly.

Previous courts have heard claims that the victim was subjected to a “prolonged violent assault using weapons” and in circumstances where “he was unable to defend himself”.

The case against the five defendants had been scheduled for a Preliminary Enquiry on Friday but Stevenson’s defence counsel Gavin Cairns said that with the new charge now levied against his client, he was seeking an adjournment.

Lawyers for her co-defendants confirmed they had been put on notice of the adjournment application and with no objections raised, District Judge Michael Ranaghan put the case back to October 11.