Overview
- The sentence was handed down at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, May 22, 2026 after 45‑year‑old Suzanne Love pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender.
- Court admissions and forensic evidence show Love left Madrid Street on May 9, 2024 without summoning help, washed blood‑soaked clothing and footwear, and arranged hotel bookings for her son on May 10 and May 11.
- A state pathologist concluded Kathryn Parton died of blunt force head injuries consistent with punches, kicks and stamping, and the judge said prompt medical intervention on May 9 might have changed the outcome.
- Kathryn’s father, Ernie, found her body at the Madrid Street home on May 15, 2024; victim impact statements read in court described lasting trauma and a PTSD diagnosis for him and major, ongoing harm to the family.
- The judge noted mitigation including Love’s past experience of domestic abuse and her remorse, but found her actions intentionally obstructed the investigation; the broader homicide inquiry that led to earlier arrests, including of partner Jamie McAllister, remains part of the police record.