Portrush: Jason Murray sentenced for manslaughter of Paul Rowlands

Portrush: Jason Murray sentenced for manslaughter of Paul Rowlands

In a tragic incident in Portrush, a man has been sentenced to a minimum of eight years for the manslaughter of his friend, 46-year-old Paul Rowlands. The 42-year-old culprit, Jason Murray, admitted to unlawfully killing Rowlands in the Bath Terrace area back in July 2022. After the attack, Murray callously declared himself a “hitman” at a nearby bar, showcasing a chilling lack of remorse for his actions.

The devastating loss of Paul Rowlands has left his family reeling, as life will never be the same for them. The court heard how each family member struggles in their own way with the sudden absence of Rowlands, forever haunted by the thought of reaching out to him about the small joys in life. Justice O’Hara emphasized Murray’s struggles with addiction and impaired self-control as contributing factors to the tragic event.

Murray’s plea to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility due to mental abnormality was accepted by the court. The scene of the crime, where Rowlands was found lying lifeless between two cars with fatal head and neck injuries, paints a grim picture of the night’s events. Rowlands, originally from Cambridge, England, had been living in tents on East Strand, Portrush, with Murray, both grappling with homelessness and substance abuse.

Speaking on behalf of the devastated family, Rowlands’ daughter, Leanne, described her father as the heart of their family, a cherished father, son, and brother. Murray’s sentencing highlights the senselessness of the tragedy, where a verbal altercation fueled by alcohol led to irreversible consequences. Detective Inspector Claire McGarvey expressed gratitude to witnesses who came forward, shedding light on the tragic loss of a much-loved father in a moment of senseless violence

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