Murder accused 'cannot leave NI'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7150493.stm

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A man accused of murdering his mother has been refused permission to leave Northern Ireland.

David McCartan, 36, was told by a High Court judge if he was allowed to leave the jurisdiction the PSNI would not be able to supervise his bail conditions.

Mr McCartan and his wife Geraldine deny murdering 75-year-old Annie McCartan in her Warrenpoint home last June.

A lawyer for David McCartan had asked for his bail conditions to be changed so he could work as a joiner in Dublin.

The Crown objected on the grounds that the change would enable Mr McCartan, formerly of Rossmara Park, Warrenpoint to contact prosecution witnesses.

Refusing the application, Mr Justice Morgan said the original ban on Mr McCartan leaving the jurisdiction was designed to avoid the risk of interference with the trial process.

Annie McCartan was beaten, stabbed and had her throat cut at her Summerhill home.

Mr McCartan's wife, Geraldine, 34, was released on bail last January.