A forty-one-year-old man found guilty of murdering Damien Heagney, whose dismembered remains were recovered from a reservoir around eight months after he was last seen alive, has been told he will serve at least 24 years behind bars.
Stephen McCourt, from Dromore, appeared before Belfast Crown Court today, June 27, for the murder of Damien Heagney.
The 41-year-old defendant had been given a life sentence in April, and was today told he will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison.
Mr Heagney was last seen alive in late December 2021.
Related: Man found guilty of shocking murder where victim’s dismembered remains recovered from reservoir
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “Damien Heagney was initially reported missing on July 19, 2022. A murder investigation was launched two weeks later and, distressingly, Mr Heagney’s dismembered remains were recovered from Cappagh Reservoir in Pomeroy on August 10, 2022.
“From evidence, we identified Stephen McCourt as a suspect in the early stages of our investigation. This included an analysis of mobile phones belonging to both Mr Heagney and McCourt, analysis of the vehicle movements of both, as well as interviews with numerous witnesses.
“When charged with murder in October 2022, he pleaded not guilty, and indeed continued to profess his innocence throughout the judicial process.
“McCourt was finally convicted, following a four-week trial, on April 9 of this year.”
Detective Superintendent Wilson continued: “While the exact cause of Mr Heagney’s death has never been determined due to the decomposition of his remains, the post mortem did identify possible stab wounds to his head, neck, arms and legs.
“This was the most senseless loss of a life. It was a murder made even more disturbing by the way in which Mr Heagney’s body was subsequently dismembered, concealed in a number of packages, and ultimately disposed of in a reservoir. These actions were callous, cruel and brutal beyond comprehension.
“Today, working in partnership with the Public Prosecution Service and thanks to the support of NI Water, internal police teams and members of the public, Stephen McCourt has finally been held accountable.
“I know that Damien’s loving family have understandably been left broken-hearted, and my thoughts remain with them today. They have suffered unimaginably, yet have managed to show remarkable dignity and patience throughout this entire process.”
Family statement
The Heagney family would like to, firstly, thank all the witnesses who bravely came forward to give vital information. Your help has proved to be so important to this trial.
The last few years have been torturous for our family. No one should ever have to deal with the heartache of losing a son and a brother, yet we have to wake up every single morning knowing that Damien was murdered.
Damien’s life was taken so cruelly, and the actions that followed were depraved – more than we can ever begin to express.
It’s actually impossible to stop thinking about what happened to Damien. We go over it, again and again, and it haunts us.
Yet, among the torment, we’ve each taken comfort from the genuine kindness and support shown by others.
We would like to thank the jury who put in so much time and effort, listening to all the evidence to bring back a guilty verdict, especially in such a difficult case. We will always be grateful to them.
We’d also like to thank the investigation team for keeping us informed and guiding us through the process over these past three years, and the legal team for prosecuting this case.
We are so grateful for all the support given to us.
Court details by Tanya Fowles
Stephen Eugene McCourt previously of Gartland Terrace. Dromore then Riverview Augher, denied murdering the victim between 31 December 2021 and 6 January 2022, but the jury took just under three hours to unanimously convict him.
The trial at Dungannon Crown Court heard in July 2022 Mr Heagney’s GP practice contacted police to conduct a welfare check as he hadn’t collected his medication in-person since 7 December 2021 and until May 2022 it was lifted by someone else who claimed to have permission to do so.
Police launched a missing person investigation however after receiving information this the matter was updated to a murder inquiry.
On 10 August 2022 Mr Heaney’s dismembered remains were recovered in two packages from Cappagh Reservoir near Pomeroy.
Multiple witnesses gave evidence during the trial including a vehicle recovery operator who collected Mr Heagney’s broken down car and moved it to McCourt’s home in Dromore on New Year’s Eve 2021.
A few days later McCourt’s neighbour observed him placing strips of carpet into the rear of a white van, noting one piece had a large, dark stain.
Cell-site analysis showed McCourt’s phone was in the Ballygawley area around 8pm on New Year’s Eve 2021 when Mr Heagney’s phone attempted a voice call which was not answered followed by a text.
McCourt twice responded by text.
From that night until 3 January 2022, Mr Heagney’s phone remained at McGartland Terrace, however around midday it travelled between Dromore and Kesh, close to Lower Lough Erne.
After that, until 10am the next morning the phone was near McGartland Terrace when it either lost power or was switched off until 4 January 2022 when it briefly “became active again”.
On 2 January 2022, McCourt’s phone detached from the network for just over 16 hours in the Dromore area.
The SIM card activated the next day in Cookstown having been placed into another handset.
While Mr Heagney’s phone was briefly active, McCourt’s device was removed from the network.
In early January 2022 a vehicle recovery operator removed a BMW from his home.
A few days later he towed a white van for McCourt which had become stuck in grass near Cappagh Reservoir.
0n 10 August 2022 an NI Water Inspector observed a suspicious package in Cappagh Reservoir.
A diver observed a human foot and subsequently two legs with wire around the upper parts.
The body had been cut in half and a second package was located nearby.
One package contained a head and two arms, while the second held lower limbs, but the tops of the thigh bones were missing, having been cut below the ball-and-socket joints.
The torso was never found as while it was discovered in the reservoir earlier in a wire-wrapped packaging and having been mistaken for a deceased animal was removed and disposed of.
The pathologist could not ascertain a cause of death, due to decomposition and dismemberment, however there were multiple injuries suggestive of stabbing.
He told the court, “The upper limbs had been disarticulated and the lower limbs were dismembered. They had been cut uniformly, strongly suggestive of sawing, quite possibly some form of electric saw … All remains were in a similar state and could have been in the water since Mr Heagney’s disappearance, however this cannot be stated with absolute certainly.”
Following conviction McCourt was handed a life sentence and the matter was adjourned to ascertain the minimum term he will serve.
Today (Friday) Mr Justice Fowler referred to Victim Impact Statements by Mr Heagney’s family expressing, “The pain, sorrow and loss they feel. I’ve watched them listen with great dignity and resilience to what was harrowing evidence. Regrettably no sentence I can impose will ever fill the void in their lives.”
He stated, “I’m satisfied this was a vicious attack with a knife. The dismemberment was a particular callous act for the family, causing the most harrowing details imaginable for them to hear. The matter was also aggravated by the disposal of the remains in the reservoir in a significant step to conceal evidence.”
The judge also noted McCourt’s previous record which has multi[le convictions for violence including wounding and “unsurprisingly” presents a risk of serious harm.”
Imposing a minimum tariff of 24 years Judge Fowler concluded proceedings by telling custody staff: “Take him down.”
