Suspect in mistaken identity 'revenge' murder has fled to Portugal, High Court hears
One of the suspects for a mistaken identity “revenge” murder in Co Antrim has fled to Portugal, the High Court heard today.
Prosecutors also revealed that detectives investigating the fatal knife attack on 63-year-old Victor Hamilton at a block of flats in Ballymena have obtained more than 200 witness statements.
Details emerged as bail was refused to another of those accused of involvement in the killing on July 26 last year.
Mario Menezes, 33, of Portmore Street in Portadown, Co Armagh, is among three men charged with the murder as part of a joint enterprise.
Mr Hamilton was found dead in a pool of blood outside the apartment where he lived at Orkney Drive in the Ballykeel 2 housing estate.
He had recently moved to the Ballymena area from Carrickfergus.
Postmortem examinations established a stab wound to the back which penetrated his chest as the cause of death.
The court heard that prior to Mr Hamilton’s death the resident of another flat in Orkney Drive was contacted about a burglary incident.
A woman associated with one of the co-accused allegedly threatened that if items stolen from her property were not returned the person responsible “wouldn’t be walking for much longer”.
Based on CCTV and number plate recognition evidence, prosecution counsel Stephanie Boyd claimed Menezes was among four men who then travelled together in a Range Rover from Portadown to the scene of the killing.
A witness in the investigation has claimed that one of the co-defendants later stated the group were looking for the person blamed for the burglary, but “got the wrong guy”.
Menezes’ application for bail was opposed due to concerns he may interfere with the investigation by putting pressure on witnesses to retract their accounts.
Mrs Boyd told the court: “There are over 200 statements, 300 exhibits, and police have submitted numerous items for forensic examination.”
Contending that Menezes could abscond if released, the prosecutor disclosed: “(Another suspect) has already flown out of the jurisdiction and gone to Portugal.
“Police are making attempts to bring him back.”
She claimed that on the day after the murder Menezes was on the internet researching flights to Portugal.
“Police believe he was preparing to flee the jurisdiction,” Mrs Boyd added.
Mr Justice Humphreys was told Menezes denies any involvement in the murder.
“He has made the case that he wasn’t there,” a defence lawyer confirmed.
The barrister argued that his client does not know any of the witnesses and has lived in Northern Ireland with his family since 2004.
Denying bail, however, the judge backed the prosecution case about the potential risk of flight and interference with witnesses.
He added that the killing of Mr Hamilton “appears to have been a premeditated revenge attack carried out as a result of a domestic burglary incident”.
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