Man changes plea to guilty over murder of Edward Meenan whose body was found in alleyway

A 29-year-old man has admitted murdering a man found dead in an alleyway in Londonderry just over three years ago.

Derek Cresswell was charged with the murder of Edward Meenan in November 2018.

He initially denied the charge, but on Thursday (February 17) he pleaded guilty to the charge of murder.

Mr Meenan was found in an alleyway behind Creggan Street and the trial was told that he had sustained 52 stab wounds, two broken legs and more than 100 blows.

Counsel for Cresswell, of King's Lane in Ballykelly, applied to Judge Donna McColgan at Derry Crown Court sitting in Belfast on Wednesday morning for his client to be re-arraigned.

Cresswell pleaded guilty to the charges of murder and perverting the course of justice on November 25, 2018.

He also pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault on another man on the same date.

Following the guilty plea, Cresswell was taken into custody and Judge McColgan said that the only sentence that would eventually be passed was one of life in prison.

Sean Rodgers, 34, of no fixed abode in Derry and Ryan Walters, 22, with an address in Crossgar, are still on trial charged with Mr Meenan's murder.

They also face trial on a charge of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm on another man on the same date.