Man to stand trial over murder of Barry Furfey

A 38-year old man has been told he will stand trial next June for the murder of Lisburn man Barry Furfey.

Furfey was found with serious injuries in an apartment block in the Wardsborough Road area of Lisburn on 15 September last year. The 42-year old was conveyed to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he later died.

Jamie Laurie Spence, whose address was given as HMP Maghaberry, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, charged with murder.

When asked by a court clerk how he pleaded to the charge, Spence replied: "Not guilty."

His co-accused, 39-year old Melissa Atkinson from Foyle Road in Londonderry, was also due to be arraigned on the murder charge, but this was put back to next month.

After Spence was arraigned, his barrister John Kearney KC told Mr Justice Stephen Fowler that he would be seeking a number of expert defence reports ahead of the trial.

These, he said, included a psychiatric report, a pathology report and a toxicology report.

Crown barrister Sam Magee KC also addressed the judge and said it was estimated that the trial will last around two weeks.

The senior judge then set the date for the murder trial to commence on 1 June 2027.

The judge also confirmed to Kearney that his client Spence did not need to attend court on 13 November, which is when Atkinson is due to be arraigned on the same charge of murdering Furfey.

Following his arraignment, Spence was returned back into custody.