20-YEAR-OLD student Francis McDermott today admitted his responsibility for the death of Belcoo schoololboy Oisín McGrath who died in a playground incident nearly three years ago.
At a hearing in Dungannon, listed only as a mention, McDermott, of Camphill Park, Newtownbutler, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter, the unlawful killing of 13-year-old Oisin.
He died in hospital on February 9, 2015, from head injuries, four days after a row over a football in the grounds of St. Michael's College, Enniskillen, where he and McDermott, a 17-year-old sixth-former at the time, were both pupils.
Defence QC Martin Rodgers had told Judge Stephen Fowler QC that he had "an application for your honour to direct that the defendant be rearraigned on the one count on the bill of indictiment".
The clerk, having put the charge of manslaughter to McDermott, the Engineering university student, dressed in a dark suit, simply replied: "Guilty".
Mr Rodgers then successfully applied for McDermott to be released on his continuing bail of £500 while pre-sentence and other reports on him are compiled.
Freeing him Judge Fowler warned the university student that being granted bail was no indication of "how I will deal with this case ultimately".
McDermott will be sentenced late next month.
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