Police continuing to question man in his 40s over murder of Sean Small in Newcastle
A man aged in his 40s remains in police custody on suspicion of murder.
He is suspected of killing 84-year-old Sean Small in Newcastle, Co Down.
Mr Small was found dead outside his own property in Slievenabrock Avenue in the town, and there is a reward on offer for helping to catch those responsible.
He was a registered sex offender who had recently served a prison term for sexual activity with a teenage child.
His crimes had spanned several months, ending in 2018.
He was found dead on Sunday, and had last been seen alive on Tuesday, August 19.
Detective Chief Inspector Kerrie Foreman, said he had been the victim of “a brutal and sustained attack” and police were “working at pace to determine the circumstances around this murder”.
“We need to speak to anyone who was in the Slievenabrock Avenue area of Newcastle on 19th of August or following days, or who may have witnessed anyone or anything they thought was suspicious or out of the ordinary,” she had said.
“Has anyone you are close to acted strangely over the last few days or broken from their usual routine?
“I am asking anyone with any information, no matter how small or insignificant a detail may seem, to please contact us by calling 101.”
She added that the charity Crimestoppers is offering a reward of “up to £20,000 for information given directly to them that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible”.
The Probation Board for Northern Ireland said: “If someone has committed serious sexual offences, they are managed through the public protection arrangements which requires a multi-agency approach to manage risk.”