Publication date:
A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum tariff of 21 years after admitting the murder of Roy Reynolds (54) at a flat in Rathcoole, Co Antrim, in March 2022. Michael Campbell (34) pleaded guilty at Belfast Crown Court in December 2023 to Mr Reynolds’ murder and attempting to prevent a lawful and decent burial. Campbell had previously pleaded not guilty at an arraignment hearing in April 2023.
Mervyn Fulton (70) plead guilty in June 2023 to assisting an offender. He admitted helping Campbell to move the victim’s remains from the flat to a reservoir near Carrickfergus in an attempt to hide the body.
PPS Senior Public Prosecutor Mairead Lavery said: “Campbell subjected Mr Reynolds to a ferociously violent and senseless attack, inflicting a horrific catalogue of more than 100 individual injuries. After the murder he called Fulton who agreed to drive him to the reservoir where Campbell attempted to conceal Mr Reynolds’ body by attaching his remains to a cement block and putting his body in the water. Had his remains not been discovered hours later by a member of the public, these callous actions could have robbed his family of a burial.
“The prosecution team in the PPS Serious Crime Unit worked closely with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who had carried out a thorough investigation, to bring Campbell and his co-accused before the court and build a strong case against both defendants resulting in guilty pleas.
“Mr Reynolds was much-loved and his loss in these most painful circumstances have left a terrible void in the lives of his family and friends. I want to thank Mr Reynolds’ loved ones for their dignity throughout these proceedings. I hope that the conclusion of this case will bring some small sense of comfort as they attempt to rebuild their lives without him.”