Man loses appeal against life term for killing teen

THE Court of Criminal Appeal has dismissed an appeal by Sligo man Ronnie McManus against his life sentence for the manslaughter of a 14-year-old girl.

Ronald Dunbar, aka Ronald McManus, aged 47, denied murdering Melissa Mahon between September 14 and 30, 2006. He was jailed for life by Mr Justice Barry White after being found guilty of her manslaughter following a 25-day trial in May 2009.

McManus’s trial heard that he strangled the 14-year-old and dumped her body in a river in Co Sligo.