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Northern Ireland Court of Appeal Rejects McDevitt Murder Appeal

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 5:11 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal rejected John McDevitt’s appeal against his murder conviction.
John McDevitt, 61, was convicted of killing British soldier Private Neil Clarke in Londonderry in 1984.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) referred McDevitt’s case to the Court of Appeal in October 2024.
The panel, led by Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan with Justices Adrian Colton and Stephen Fowler, said the appeal must fail on its facts.

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Story summary

The Northern Ireland Court of Appeal rejected John McDevitt’s appeal against his murder conviction.
John McDevitt, 61, was convicted of killing British soldier Private Neil Clarke in Londonderry in 1984.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) referred McDevitt’s case to the Court of Appeal in October 2024.
The panel, led by Chief Justice Siobhan Keegan with Justices Adrian Colton and Stephen Fowler, said the appeal must fail on its facts.