N.I murder victim killed by two shotgun blasts

Speaking to the media in its east Belfast Ladas Drive station, PSNI Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said the victim of the killing is believed to have been shot with a shotgun – although he did not say if this was from behind or from the front, adding that pathology work still needed to be done.

It is believed he was hit twice.

He was between his kitchen and hallway of his home in Church Road, Glenwherry (between Larne and Ballymena) at the time.

The murder weapon has not been recovered, and the public have been urged to call police if they discover any weapons.

Det Supt Murphy said that it is not known when the victim died, but that he was believed to have been alive on Saturday.

That leaves a window of a few days when he could have been attacked before being found by a friend on Tuesday.

At the press conference, the detective said the victim had been “known to police”.

He said that he was keeping an open mind about the motives.

He was aged 52, and besides saying that his parents lived close by and he had siblings, police gave little detail about his family.

More to follow.