Woman freed to see dead son

A woman accused of murdering her son was granted five hours' release from prison yesterday to attend the removal of his body

A woman accused of murdering her son was granted five hours' release from prison yesterday to attend the removal of his body. Solicitors for the woman applied to a judge to let her out of prison to see his body before burial.

Ms Rosemary Elliott (48), from Fisherwick Crescent, Ballymena, Co Antrim, applied for compassionate bail in the High Court in Belfast after being remanded in custody on a charge of murdering her son David (25), who died from stab wounds on Wednesday.

A Crown lawyer said Ms Elliott rang police and told them, "God forgive me, but I've stabbed him." She said her son was causing a nuisance outside her sister's house and she lost her temper and stabbed him with a kitchen knife.

The lawyer said Ms Elliott appeared to be drunk. Her barrister said she was an alcoholic.