Northern Ireland

Three people remain in custody over suspected Co Down murder

A 50-year-old man died in hospital after being found unconscious inside Newtownards flat

PACEMAKER BELFAST 27/12/2024: Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Newtownards, County Down, on Thursday. Police received a report that a man was unconscious at a block of flats on West Street just before 01:50 GMT. The 50-year-old was taken to hospital, and later died. A post-mortem will take place in due course. Two women, aged 58 and 33, were arrested at the scene in Mitchell Court and a man, aged 36, was later arrested at a nearby address. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press
PACEMAKER BELFAST 27/12/2024: Police have launched a murder investigation following the death of a man in Newtownards, County Down, on Thursday. Police received a report that a man was unconscious at a block of flats on West Street just before 01:50 GMT. The 50-year-old was taken to hospital, and later died. A post-mortem will take place in due course. Two women, aged 58 and 33, were arrested at the scene in Mitchell Court and a man, aged 36, was later arrested at a nearby address. Picture By: Arthur Allison/Pacemaker Press
By Staff Reporter

Three people arrested on suspicion of the murder of a man in Co Down were still being questioned by police late on Friday afternoon.

The 50-year-old man was found unconscious inside an apartment at a block of flats in West Street in Newtownards just before 2am on St Stephen’s Day.

He was brought to hospital but died later in the day.

Two women, aged 33 and 58, were arrested at the scene on West Street on Thursday. A 36-year-old man was arrested at a nearby address on Thursday that afternoon.

Strangford MP Jim Shannon, said the situation was “incredibly sad”.

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“At this time there is a family grieving in Newtownards and everyone of us in Newtownards - elected representatives and indeed local residents - our concerns are for the immediate family, for their sorrow at this time,” Mr Shannon told the BBC, adding that the man who died was formerly in the Boys' Brigade in Newtownards.

The DUP MP said it was his understanding the deceased man’s family have strong links to the town and that many people in the town would know him from his younger years in the brigade.

“We all think of the family who suffer and grieve for their loved one who is no longer with them today,” Mr Shannon said.