Barry McCarney jailed 25 years for Millie Martin murder

A JUDGE has told child killer Barry McCarney that he must serve 25 years in jail for the murder and sexual assault of toddler Millie Martin.

The ruling was made at Belfast Crown Court on Friday.

McCarney, 33, from Trillick, Co Tyrone was found guilty of the murder, sexual assault and grievous bodily harm of the 15-month-old last month at Dungannon Crown Court.

McCarney was in a relationship with Millie’s mother Rachael Martin at the time of the killing.

Baby Millie died from severe head injuries in a Belfast hospital in the early hours of 11 December, 2009.

She had been rushed unconscious from her Glebe Park home in Enniskillen to the Erne Hospital before being transferred to the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.

McCarney, who denied the charges, never spoke and refused to testify during the ten week trial.

It took the jury just under three hours to reach a unanimous verdict in December.

In court last week, prosecution QC Ciaran Murphy described McCarney as an “evil sadistic killer” called for the highest tariff for murdering the toddler.

But his defence argued he should only be sentenced for crimes he was convicted of and that there was no evidence that he had acted in sadistic manner.

Rachael Martin was cleared of charges of allowing her daughter’s death and cruelty.