Stephen Scott: 'thoroughly evil' NI killer who murdered Sylvia Fleming and dismembered her body, has life licence revoked over firearms charge

Defence counsel Patrick Taylor confirmed to Lisburn Magistrates Court he was not applying for bail on behalf of 51-year-old Stephen Peter Scott because “his licence has been revoked”.

Scott, with an address on the Garvaghy Road in Dromara, did not appear at court for the brief mention of the case against him.

The former fireman turned killer faces an allegation that “having been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three years or more purchased, acquired or had in your possession a firearm or ammunition”.

When Scott was initially charged last Monday, the court heard that according to Scott, he had been “working on a farm and he had been asked by his employer to try to get weaponry to deal with vermin on the farm” but by doing so, he breached the terms of his licence.

DC Keys said that having spoken to Scott’s boss, “I’m not sure that he has been directed to get a firearm, possibly he was asked to build a firearm for vermin control but he was in control of quite a lot of ammunition.”

District Judge Rosie Watters remanded Scott back into custody and adjourned the case to April 24.

Seventeen-year-old Sylvia Fleming was pregnant when she was murdered and her body dismembered in Omagh in 1998 by Scott.

Her body parts were found under the foundations of a partially-built house eight weeks later and sentencing Scott in 2000, the judge described him as "thoroughly evil" and ordered him to serve at least 19 years of his life sentence.

He said: "The manner in which her body was disposed of after her murder is surely the most gruesome.

"I am satisfied that you, Scott, not only deliberately killed this young girl but that you planned that killing and carried it out in circumstances so squalid that they would revolt any right-thinking person."