One of the men accused of murdering 15-year-old Ballymena schoolboy Michael McIlveen in May 2006 has changed his plea to guilty.
Mervyn Wilson Moon (20) from Douglas Terrace, Ballymena, was one of six young men on trial at Antrim Crown Court accused of murdering the boy.
The schoolboy, known as "Mickey Bo", died from brain injuries the day after he and two friends were chased and attacked in an alleyway in Ballymena by a group of Protestant youths on May 7 2006.
This afternoon when the trial, now in its fifth day was due to resume hearing evidence, defence QC Stephen Fowler asked for the murder charge to be put to Moon again.
Trial judge Mr Justice Tracey agreed to the re-arraignment and Moon stood before the jury of eight women and four men and pleaded guilty to the schoolboy's murder.
Moon, who faces life imprisonment has been remanded back into custody to wait sentence at the end of the trial of his former co-accused, five of whom deny murder.