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| Bertie Acheson death: Burglar Paul Toland jailed for killing pensioner | Bertie Acheson death: Burglar Paul Toland jailed for killing pensioner |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man has been jailed for four and a half years for killing a pensioner during a botched burglary at an elderly couple's home in County Londonderry. | A man has been jailed for four and a half years for killing a pensioner during a botched burglary at an elderly couple's home in County Londonderry. |
| Bertie Acheson, who was 72, died after a confrontation with the intruder at his home in Glenmore Gardens, Coleraine, in April 2012. | Bertie Acheson, who was 72, died after a confrontation with the intruder at his home in Glenmore Gardens, Coleraine, in April 2012. |
| Paul James Manolito Toland, originally of The Cedars, Antrim, had pleaded guilty to Mr Acheson's manslaughter. | Paul James Manolito Toland, originally of The Cedars, Antrim, had pleaded guilty to Mr Acheson's manslaughter. |
| Toland, a father of four, has 18 previous convictions for burglary. | Toland, a father of four, has 18 previous convictions for burglary. |
| Mr Acheson, who cared for his disabled wife Sheila, was assaulted by Toland when the burglar broke into the couple's home to steal money. | |
| An earlier court hearing was told that the couple were woken up by the sound of breaking glass in the early hours of 20 April 2012. | |
| Mr Acheson went to investigate. His widow later told police she overheard a verbal altercation between her husband and an intruder, during which money was demanded. | |
| A police officer told the earlier hearing that Mrs Acheson had claimed she also heard the sound of a scuffle and gasping for breath. | |
| She managed to raise the alarm, but when ambulance personnel and police arrived at the scene, her husband, found on the kitchen floor, was already dead. | |
| Toland had originally been charged with Mr Acheson's murder, but at a court hearing in October, a defence lawyer asked that his client be re-arraigned. | |
| Toland told Belfast Crown Court that he was not guilty of murder, but guilty of manslaughter. | |
| He also admitted the robbery of Mr Acheson's wife, Shelia. £335 was taken from her purse during the burglary. |