Craigavon: Man pleads guilty to Nathan Gibson murder

Image source, Family handout

Image caption, A man has pleaded guilty to murdering Nathan Gibson in January 2020

A County Armagh man has been handed a life sentence after admitting the murder of Nathan Gibson in 2020.

Mr Gibson, who was 25, was found fatally wounded on a towpath in Craigavon, County Armagh.

He was pronounced dead at the scene. The facts of his death have not been formally opened in court.

John Paul Whitla, 44, of no fixed abode, replied "guilty" when the charge of murder was put to him at Craigavon Crown Court on Thursday.

The case against Whitla had been listed for review on Thursday but instead defence counsel Eugene Grant asked for three of the charges to be put to him again.

Image source, Pacemaker

Image caption, Mr Gibson was found fatally wounded on a tow path near his Craigavon home

In addition to murder, Whitla also entered guilty pleas to causing actual bodily harm and trespass with intent to commit sexual assault arising from the same incident on 16 January 2020.

Judge Patrick Lynch told him that, given his admissions, there was only one sentence he could pass under law: "that of life imprisonment."

The judge said his next step is to fix the minimum tariff that Whitla must serve of his life sentence.

He was remanded into custody with the case adjourned until 17 November.