Michael Lenaghan sentenced to life for Inayat Shah murder in Ballymena guesthouse

Inayat Shah was murdered in his guestyhouse in Ballymena.

A 55-year-old man was handed a life sentence today after admiting murdering the owner of a guesthouse in Ballymena where he had been staying. Inayat Shah ran the Traveller's Rest, situated on the Galgorm Road in the Co Antrim town, and was stabbed over 50 times in his guesthouse in March 2020. Michael Lenaghan, with an address at Galgorm Road, initially denied murdering the 67-year old and a trial was due to commence this week.

He appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Tuesday where his barrister asked that he be re-arraigned on a total of three charges. Standing with his head bowed in the dock and flanked by two prison officers, Lenaghan was asked by a court clerk to confirm his identity. He was then charged with murdering Mr Shah on March 21, 2020 and when he was asked how he pleaded, he replied "guilty." Lenaghan was also charged with, and pleaded guilty to, wounding another resident at the guesthouse with intent to do him grievous bodily harm and of making threats to kill a third man on the same date. Crown barrister Sam Magee KC told Judge Patricia Smyth that victim impact statements from Mr Shah's family are being sought ahead of sentencing, while defence barrister John Kearney KC said he will be seeking pre-sentence reports on Lenaghan. Judge Smyth then addressed Lenaghan and told him: "You have pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Shah and in those circumstances there is only one sentence that I can pass and that is a sentence of life imprisonment. "It now falls to me to determine the tariff period, which is the minimum term in prison you must serve before you will eligible to be considered for release by the Parole Commissioners." The Belfast Recorder set the Tariff hearing for February 9, 2024 but said that as this will be a "complicated hearing" she may not set the tariff on that date. Judge Smyth also addressed Mr Shah's family, who attended court via a videolink, and said: "I simply want to say that I am grateful to you for bearing with this court for so long whilst we obtained the necessary medical reports in this case. "It has been a very lengthy process and I know the length of that has caused each of you a very great deal of pain. "I hope the outcome today brings some relief."

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