In a development at Ballymena Magistrates Court today (Monday July 21), it was revealed that a woman charged with murder, following a fire that resulted in a man’s death, allegedly bought a BBQ earlier that same day.
The court proceedings unfolded as a judge mandated the owners of a building on Main Street in Ballymoney to facilitate access for a defense expert to inspect the site of the tragic incident.
The prosecution indicated that the property owners had expressed concerns about granting the defense expert access to examine the premises, where a 55-year-old man died following the flat fire earlier this month.
The accused, a 34-year-old woman whose identity remains protected, is in custody facing charges related to the death on July 1st of this year.
Defence barrister Chris Sherrard stated to the court that, “the allegation is that she had purchased a BBQ that morning”.
Mr Sherrard went on to further mentioned that she was seen leaving the apartment shortly before the fire was discovered.
Labeling the landlord’s objections as ‘speculative’ Judge Broderick approved the defense’s request for property access, stipulating that the inspection must occur within the next seven days and should not exceed a duration of 12 hours.
