Damien Heagney Obituary, Death; – A man has been convicted of the murder of Damien Heagney, as well as the dismemberment and disposal of his remains.
Mr. Heagney, aged 47 and from Cookstown, County Tyrone, was last seen alive at the end of December 2021. He was reported missing in July 2022, and in August of the same year, his partially dismembered body was discovered in Cappagh Reservoir, County Tyrone.
Stephen McCourt, 41, residing in Riverview, Augher, County Tyrone, had pleaded not guilty to the charges but was found guilty on Wednesday. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder, with a tariff hearing scheduled for May to determine the duration he must serve before being eligible for parole.
Mr. Heagney was last spotted in Dromore, County Tyrone, on New Year’s Eve in 2021. His dismembered remains were located in August 2022, shortly after he was reported missing.
The trial, which lasted three weeks, revealed that the prosecution argued McCourt was not only responsible for Mr. Heagney’s murder but also for the efforts to dispose of his body between December 29, 2021, and January 7, 2022.
On August 10, 2022, Mr. Heagney’s dismembered remains were found in two separate packages at the reservoir near Pomeroy, County Tyrone. The prosecution described this as an evident attempt to conceal the body.
Evidence presented in court indicated that the packages contained various body parts of Mr. Heagney. One package held lower limbs, while the other contained neck bones, two arms, and a skull, which had a metal fragment embedded in it.
A pathologist testified that he could not ascertain the precise cause of Mr. Heagney’s death due to decomposition, but identification was confirmed through dental and medical records. The pathologist also noted that three wounds to the head and neck were consistent with injuries inflicted by a typical household knife.
During the trial, the prosecution emphasized that McCourt was the last person to see Mr. Heagney alive.
