Man accused of Paul McCauley murder calls for charges to be dropped

 

 
The charges against a Derry man accused of murdering Paul McCauley who died in June this year after being the victim of a sectarian attack should be dropped, a solicitor told the local Magistrate’s Court today.
Piper John McClements, of The Fountain, is charged with the murder of Mr McCauley on June 6.
Today, defence solicitor Seamus Quigley lodged an application for the proceedings against the 25-year-old defendant to be ‘nullified’.
The case was adjourned to allow the Public Prosecution Service to respond to this application.
Mr McCauley was attacked and beaten at a barbecue in the Chapel Road area of the Waterside in 2006.
He remained in a vegetative state for nine years before his death in June this year.
McClements was previously convicted of causing grievous bodily harm to Mr McCauley and served a prison sentence for this.
A previous court hearing was told this was the first case of its kind in Northern Ireland where a person has been convicted of assault and then charged with murder after the victims death.
McClements was released on continuing bail to appear in court again on October 26.