Teenage girls face life for Irishman's murder

Two teenage girls were facing life in prison today after being found guilty of the murder of a middle-aged man they accused of making an indecent proposal during a party.

Two teenage girls were facing life in prison today after being found guilty of the murder of a middle-aged Irishman they accused of making an indecent proposal during a party.

Maxine Breakspear, 19, and Rochelle Etherington, 18, mounted a savage attack on drunken 42-year-old James Dalrymple.

They laid into him as he tried to throw out an older woman from his flat in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey.

Mr Dalrymple was kicked and punched and a video recorder smashed twice on to his head.

As he lay dying from brain damage, his attackers returned to the blood-spattered flat to steal his wallet and mobile phone, the Old Bailey was told.

The painter and decorator’s body was found the following day. He had 50 injuries to his face, neck and body.

He had a print of a trainer shoe on his face which had also been cut with a screwdriver.

The flat, which had been a gathering point for local youngsters, had been ransacked, said Jonathan Turner QC, prosecuting.

Mr Turner said: “Maxine Breakspear said he had made an indecent suggestion to her.”

One of her friends had complained that he had tried to kiss her and said he wanted to make love to her.

The court was told that a fight started after Mr Dalrymple attacked an older woman at the flat.

The teenagers and two younger girls joined in to help the woman.

But Mr Turner said Breakspear and Etherington continued attacking Mr Dalrymple and were seen to smash the video recorder on his head.

Breakspear and Etherington, both of Walton-on-Thames, had tried to blame each other for the attack in January when they were arrested.

They denied murder but were found guilty by a jury.

The Recorder of London Judge Peter Beaumont remanded them in custody for six weeks for pre-sentence reports to help determine a minimum term to be serviced.

He said: “There is only one sentence I can pass. I want to find out why this happened.”

Mr Dalrymple, who had separated from his wife, began drinking heavily in recent years, the court was told.

He was born in Co Antrim, Northern Ireland, and his father Jerry was one of four Catholic workmen shot dead by the loyalist UFF in Castle Rock, Co Derry, in 1993.