Yahoo News Murderer who killed his flatmate 'unfit' to face justice after taking 'unknown substance' in jail
A murderer due to be sentenced for a killing his flatmate as they walked home from the pub has taken an 'unknown substance' in jail. Lee Burns, 38, was due to face justice on Monday morning for the murder of 45-year-old Vinny McDonagh in Oldham.
But his case was adjourned until Wednesday after Manchester Crown Court heard that he was 'unfit' to attend after taking pills in prison. "It sounds self-inflicted to me," Judge Alan Conrad KC said.
The judge told Burns' barrister that he would sentence the killer in his absence if he failed to attend later this week. Burns' barrister Richard Littler KC told the court that the defendant, who was found guilty of murder on Friday, had 'taken an unknown substance'.
"That is obviously unfortunate, undoubtedly for family," Mr Littler said of Mr McDonagh's family who had attended court expecting Burns to be handed the mandatory life sentence. "If he renders himself again incapable of attending court I will proceed in his absence," Judge Conrad said.
Mr McDonagh, who was engaged and a father to a young son, was found unresponsive in the street in Oldham after Burns had launched a ferocious attack. After punching him and causing him to fall to the ground, Burns proceeded to kick and punch him repeatedly.
Burns had said ‘I’ll f****** bang you out bro’ before attacking Mr McDonagh in November last year. The assault was captured on harrowing CCTV footage which his loved ones found too distressing to watch in court.
The pair had spent the night in a pub together after Mr McDonagh had lent him £20. Prosecutors said the motive for the murder was unclear but that Burns may have been angered by Mr McDonagh using his mobile phone.
Burns denied murder and claimed he had been acting in self-defence. But a jury saw through his lies and convicted him. Tributes were paid to Mr McDonagh following his death.
His fiancé Demi said: "Vinny was an amazing fiancé, a loving dad and devoted family man. He was kind and helpful to everyone and nothing was ever too much to ask.
"He loved his little boy to pieces, he doted on him and would always make sure he had everything. He loved his music and would always sing to me and his little boy, he was always making jokes and was the life of the party.
"He was from a big family in Ireland and had six brothers and seven sisters, and would always speak about their memories and his love for his dad Barney. Our lives are so empty without him, we cannot believe someone would just take him away.
"He will be missed so much, and we don’t know how to go on without him. We always used to say we loved each other to the moon and stars and now I won’t hear that from him again."
