Man now admits killing Chloe Mitchell, court is told

The man accused of murdering Chloe Mitchell has admite that he killed her, his barrister has told a court.

Brandon John Rainey, formerly of James Street in the town, was due to go on trial on March 9 for the murder of the Ballymena woman which he had denied.

But, at an emergency hearing at Belfast Crown Court on Friday, his barrister said 29-year-old Rainey would now plead guilty to killing the 21 year old by reason of diminished responsibility.

Rainey further denies a charge of attempting to prevent "the lawful and decent burial of a deceased body'' on 3 June 2023.

During the emergency hearing on Friday, senior defence counsel Neil Connor KC said he wanted to update the court following a review of proceedings on Thursday and ahead of the proposed trial next month.

He said: "The reason for the unexpected hearing this morning is that myself, my junior counsel Mr Neil Moore and my instructing solicitor, had a scheduled consultation with Mr Rainey yesterday afternoon.

"That consultation took a perhaps unexpected turn to the extent that my instructions from Mr Rainey have changed which is likely to have a substantial impact on the trial.''

Mr. Connor told the judge that he had an application to amend the previously lodged defence statement.

"That document reflects the change in instructions we received yesterday and there is now a general acceptance on behalf of Mr Rainey that he killed Ms Mitchell. I use that term as opposed to murdering Ms Mitchell," Connor said.

"It really is a medical defence now based on diminished responsibility which centres round his state of mind at the time," he said.

"Given the change in instructions we will need to obtain an updated psychiatric report from Dr Issac who has previously examined Mr Rainey.''

Mr. Connor said he had already spoken with Dr Issac who said the earliest he could consult with the defendant was 9 March.

He said he could have his addendum report completed by 13 March.

"We will have to consider his report, then consult with Mr Rainey and make a decision on whether the addendum report will be served (on the Crown) and relied upon by us,'' explained Mr Connor.

"The hope is that the report will be relied upon. Depending on the contents of that report, the prosecution may want the defendant examined by their psychiatrist Dr Brennan.''

Connor requested that the trial date of 9 March be vacated in light of Rainey's new instructions.

He asked that Rainey is not produced on the proposed trial date as he is due his consultation that day with Dr Issac.

"We could have him produced later in the week so that he can re-arraigned on both counts he faces on the indictment,'' Connor said.

"He could be re-arraigned and maintain his not guilty plea to murder but guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility,'' he said.

Senior prosecution counsel David Russell KC said he was adopting a "cautious approach'' to the change in instructions by the defendant.

"We rather have been here before because Dr Issac's report was relied on in this case from April 2025 and was obtained in the face of a trial which led to the trial not proceeding," he told the court.

"One of the issues in this case is the defendant's inability to say what happened (to Ms Mitchell).''

The Crown's position, Russell said, was that the court sits on 10 March in case the "accused changes his mind and decides not to see Dr Issac and we would need to be in a position to proceed with the trial''.

The Crown's position would not change until there were updated medical reports from both Dr Issac and Dr Brennan, he told the court.

Russell noted that Dr Brennan is on leave until 21 March and his first available appointment to see Rainey would be from the week beginning 23 March.

"If all those commitments fall in place, ie, the accused is seen by Dr Issac, the re-arraignment, the two additional reports, that looks like a backstop of a trial starting in the new term on Monday 13 April, 2026, which gives ample time for decisions to be made,'' Russell said.

"One way or another by that stage of 13 April we will know whether a trial is ready to proceed.''

Connor said he understood the Crown's position in wanting to maintain a trial date in case Rainey changed his mind over entering a guilty plea to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

"The problem that I see with that is we have received specific instructions and if my learned friend fears a change of heart (by the defendant), that would have implications for our continued representation,'' Connor said.

Following legal submissions, the judge said the proposed trial would not commence 9 March.

Instead, Rainey would be re-arraigned on 12 March.

The judge ordered Rainey's production from custody to appear at Belfast Crown Court.

Chloe Mitchell was 21 when she went missing in Ballymena in early June 2023.

Her disappearance prompted a series of extensive searches before her remains were found about a week later.

Rainey was later arrested and charged with her murder.

He was also charged with attempting to prevent "the lawful and decent burial of a deceased body".

A date for the trial had originally been fixed for 23 February, but barristers were granted more time to resolve issues involving witnesses and disclosure.

It was then confirmed on 16 February that Rainey's trial would go ahead on 9 March.