Co Down man Jimmy Seales found guilty of the shotgun murder of Philip Strickland two years ago

A farmer has been sentenced to life imprisonment after a jury found him guilty of the murder of Philip Strickland over two years ago.

Jimmy Seales, 56, Ballykeel Road, Hillsborough, had denied the murder and having a shotgun with intent to endanger life.

He claimed that on the night of the murder in January 2012 he was at home watching TV soap Emmerdale and then went to bed early.

However, witnessess, including his son Ian, put him at the scene armed with a shotgun.

The jury of ten men and two women returned on Monday afternoon and told trial judge Mr Justice Weir that they had found him guilty by unanimous verdicts.

Philip Strickland, 37, died after being shot in the face in a car on Quarry Road, near Comber in January 2012.

Two of Mr Seales’ sons, Ian and Jason Weir, Derryboye Road and Raffery Road, near Killinchy, County Down, had already pleaded guilty to murder.

The jury is still deliberating in the case of Seales’ co-accused, 26-year-old Stephen McCaughey of Shackleton Walk, Newtownards.

He is also charged with murder and possession of the shotgun.

McCaughey denies the charges and claims he only went to Comber with Jason Weir as he told him there was going to to be a “scuffle”.