Man shot dead in west Belfast understood to have recently beaten charges of blackmail and threats to kill

A man shot to death in west Belfast this weekend is believed to have earlier been under suspicion for serious gang-style crimes.
By Adam Kula
Published 19th Dec 2021, 12:58 BST
Updated 19th Dec 2021, 13:32 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 18th December 2021PSNI at the scene of a shooting in the Rodney Drive area of west Belfast this evening. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 18th December 2021PSNI at the scene of a shooting in the Rodney Drive area of west Belfast this evening. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 18th December 2021PSNI at the scene of a shooting in the Rodney Drive area of west Belfast this evening. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye.

Police refused to shed any details on his identity, but outlets including the Andersonstown News in the west of the city gave his name as Mark Hall, from Rodney Drive.

He was 31, and was killed last night.

Mr Hall was alleged to have had criminal connections.

For example, in 2018 the News Letter carried the following report of him being charged over a blackmail attempt.

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The man whom Mr Hall was charged alongside – Davy Murphy – had ties to the UVF, but was said to have become distanced from the group in recent years.

Murphy was shot to death with a shotgun at his rural home between Larne and Ballymena in February 2019, aged 52.

Hall and Murphy had appeared in court together after allegedly threatening a man who Murphy had known the latter through farming circles.

The man was lured to a meeting near Ballyclare.

There Murphy demanded money, on pain of death, and also threatened the victim’s elderly parents with assault.

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He was marched to a bank in the town, and told to withdraw money.

But while Murphy and Hall (who was in a car outside) waited, armed police arrived and arrested both.

Murphy and Hall were both charged with blackmail and threats to kill; specifically making “an unwarranted demand of payment of £10,000 with menaces”.

The charges were dropped in late 2018 and both were acquitted – though just a few months later Murphy was found dead.

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Hall also went on to be charged with possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances in 2020.

It is understood he was acquitted on that count too.

More from this reporter:

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