A man who started a fatal fire has been told he must serve at least eight years of his life term. As the sentence was announced yesterday at Downpatrick Crown Court, sitting in Belfast, relatives of murder victim Michael O'Hare stormed out in disgust.
The court had heard that Colin Bell (30) went on a 24-hour drink and drugs binge to celebrate his prison release in February last year and had been drinking with Mr O'Hare in his flat in Bangor.
Bell and his friends had asked Mr O'Hare if they could come to his flat but when told he would be out, Bell smashed his way into the vacant flat downstairs where they waited for Mr O'Hare to return.
After the group left, and as Mr O'Hare lay sleeping, Bell set fire to furniture he had piled up in the vacant flat before leaving. Bell eventually admitted to starting the fatal fire, telling officers he did so to destroy any fingerprints he may have left when he broke into it.