A man who murdered his sister and set fire outside his niece’s bedroom in Portadown in March 2023 is due to be sentenced in January 2026.
Kornelijus Bracas, 27, from Tresna Park, Randalstown, pleaded guilty in October to the murder of his sister, Alesia Nazarova. Ms. Nazarova, 37, was found by firefighters in the flat she shared with Bracas and her 12-year-old daughter. She died a short time later, while her daughter was rescued from her bedroom.
Court details revealed that Bracas had an argument with his sister on the stairs of their home. During interviews, he admitted that he “snapped” after Ms. Nazarova screamed at him. He strangled her and stabbed her multiple times in the neck before placing towels soaked in heating oil around the house, including outside his niece’s bedroom, and setting them on fire while his sister was still alive.
Bracas was later arrested on a towpath in Portadown. He also pleaded guilty to arson endangering life and reckless arson.
A portion of a victim impact statement from Ms. Nazarova’s partner was read in court, describing the grief of losing her and the ongoing sorrow over their daughter’s life without her. Both Ms. Nazarova and Bracas originally hailed from Lithuania.
During sentencing submissions, the prosecution highlighted Bracas’ claims that he felt mistreated by his sister, while the defence emphasised that he now accepted she had been supporting him and was not to blame.
The judge described domestic violence as a “blight on society” and noted the sharp increase in domestic murders in the jurisdiction. She stated that she would reflect on the case and set a tariff for Bracas’ prison term on 16 January 2026.
