Arrest over pizza delivery driver murder

34-year-old held over the murder of Kieran McManus on Saturday

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) arrested a man in connection with the murder of a pizza delivery driver in Belfast on Saturday.

The 34-year-old was taken into custody by detectives from the serious crime branch earlier today and is being questioned in Antrim.

Kieran McManus was shot a number of times at close range on Kennedy Way in west Belfast at about 11.20pm.

He was standing talking with friends outside a Domino’s Pizza branch when his assailant approached.

READ MORE

According to eye-witnesses the gunman addressed him by name before discharging his weapon. Mr McManus later died of his injuries in hospital.

The father-of-one had been employed as a delivery driver for the pizza chain.

The killing was not thought to be sectarian and police said they were investigating a number of lines of inquiry in the wake of his killing.

Community sources have suggested Mr McManus, who is originally from Norglen Parade, in the Turf Lodge housing estate in west Belfast, may have been the victim of a feud.

He was known to police and had previously appeared in court in connection with an armed attack involving a Samurai sword in the Turf Lodge estate.

In the aftermath of the incident West Belfast SDLP councilor Tim Attwood described the murder as being "cruel and heartless".

"This was not a so-called punishment attack gone wrong. The people who did this set out to kill. This was very cruel, very heartless," he said.

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard

Mark Hilliard is a reporter with The Irish Times