Man died in ‘brutal and sustained attack’, court told | UK News

A “vulnerable” Bangor man, who was attacked while he slept in his bed, died in a “brutal and sustained attack”, Belfast Crown Court has heard.

Dennis Shearer was struck up to nine times in the head by his cousin’s partner at his home on 28 February 2021 and died in hospital nine days later.

Timothy Walker, 43, pleaded guilty to the murder of Mr Shearer and was given a life sentence in December 2024.

Natalie Brannigan, 42, from The Green in Holywood, admitted a charge of assisting offenders.

Brannigan accepted that the night of the assault, she collected Walker and drove him to Holywood and Newtownards.

On Tuesday, a prosecution barrister told the court that Mr Shearer suffered “significant injuries” because of the “brutal force” used by Walker.

Mr McDowell KC said: “Mr Shearer was vulnerable and was attacked in his sleep with no way of defending himself”.

The court heard that the month before Mr Shearer’s murder, there was a serious allegation made against him, which was reported to police.

The prosecution barrister told the court Walker broke into Mr Shearer’s home, where he lived with his elderly step parents, closed his stepparents bedroom door and carried out a “vigilante attack” on the 25-year-old, “taking the law into his own hands”.

Mr Shearer’s foster mother heard him “shouting in pain”.

When she went into his bedroom, she found his body. She shook his leg as he lay in bed and shouted his name, but there was no response.

The court heard there was “blood on the duvet and pillow” with “blood on the walls and ceiling”.

The prosecution barrister told the court they could “easily draw inference, the intent was to kill”.

The court heard that Walker “knew what he was doing”.

The prosecution barrister said Walker “destroyed evidence” and “took steps to evade capture”.

A defence barrister told the court the case had many “shades of grey”, and that Mr Walker was “clearly in depths of despair” and suffered from mental health issues, including hearing voices telling him to harm Mr Shearer.

John Kearney KC said Mr Walker “heard voices in his head and suffered blackouts”.

Mr Justice O’Hara said, “whether this was pre-planned or not, it was quite deliberate”.

He said “somewhere along the line, he’s found a weapon or brought a weapon”.

Mr Justice O’Hara said: “I fail to understand how he (Walker) cannot remember any of this.”

He said “he (Walker) couldn’t remember anything, but could remember hearing voices telling him to hit him?”.

Mr Walker received a life sentence in December 2024, and his tariff will be set next week.

The couple will be sentenced for their offences on 11 March 2025, Mr Justice O’Hara said.