William ‘Pat’ McCormick's mistress charged with his murder

By Paul Higgins

A murdered man’s mistress was today (tues) formally charged with his murder. 

Appearing at Newtownards Magistrates Court by videolink, 22-year-old Lesley Ann Dodds was charged with the murder of William ‘Pat’ McCormick whose body was found in a lake in Ballygowan in July 2019. 

Dodds, from Gortfin Street in Belfast, was allegedly having an affair with the 55-year-old while also being engaged to David Gill and was initially charged with aiding and abetting in the murder. 

Her fiancé 28 year-old David Gill who is in custody - but who has an address at Terrace View in Waringstown, remains charged with the murder.

Although they did not spear at court today (tues) four other men, including Gill’s brother, were also charged with offences arising from the murder. 

Among the charges are allegations that one of the new defendants helped in disposing of the body  while another helped to dispose of evidence. 

Previous hearings at have heard claims that Dodds lured the victim to an address in Comber where he was last seen alive on 30 May 2019. 

The 55-year-old father-of-four replied to a text from Dodds saying: "I think you're setting me up for a kicking".

Tragically, he was never seen again and his body was recovered from a lake in Ballygowan on 9 July. Post-mortem examinations revealed he had sustained multiple rib fractures. 

After seeing Gill’s van parked close to the flat, Mr McCormick rang police to say that he was in fear for his own safety according to the Crown case and they concede that while Dodds wasn’t at the flat during the attack, she was recorded on CCTV arriving about an hour after McCormick. 

It is also the police and PPS contention that the following day, Gill is seen coming and going from the flat and it’s then that he allegedly disposed of the body. 

The four new defendants are jointly accused of withholding information in that allegedly knowing a murder had been committed and having “information which was likely to secure or to be of material assistance in securing the apprehension prosecution or conviction of some person for that offence without reasonable excuse failed to give that information within a reasonable time to a constable.”

The four are:

• Gill’s older brother 41-year-old William Gill, from Terrace View in Waringstown;
• Andrew Leslie (22), Mourne Crescent in Moneyrea;
• Jonathan Montgomery (22) from Castle Espie Road in Comber and 
• Jack Rowden (20), c/o Hydebank Young offenders centre. 

 In addition to being accused of withholding information in relation to the murder Gill, Leslie and Montgomery are also accused of assisting the alleged killers while Rowden faces two charges of perverting the course of justice. 

Wm Gill is alleged to have assisted by the “provision of advice;” 

Leslie is alleged to have “helped in the disposal of the body” of Mr McCormick and by permitting access to a property on the Magherascouse Road “for the purpose of disposing” of the victim’s body;

Montgomery is alleged to have assisted by “replacing van tyre” and by “allowing his garden to be used for the disposal of evidence;”

Rowden is alleged to have perverted justice by texting Leslie to warn him “not to go to the yard” believing police officers were there and by contacting a woman who intended to report her bin as missing. 

In court today (tues), lawyers for all of the accused applied for the case to be adjourned to allow them to consider the “voluminous” papers in the case. 

Dodds’ defence solicitor Patrick Higgins revealed that in addition to 2,400 pages of statements from more than 200 witnesses, detectives had also gleaned evidence from 28 different CCTV locations and had listed 231 evidential exhibits. 

District Judge Mark Hamill adjourned the case to 10 March.