Man charged in Nelson murder inquiry

Police hunting the killers of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson have charged a man with firearm offences.

Police hunting the killers of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson have charged a man with firearm offences.

The 60-year-old man was arrested last Thursday in a pre-planned swoop by officers near Portadown in Co Armagh, said a spokeswoman for Norfolk Police, the British force leading the investigation into the 1999 killing.

Mrs Nelson, a high-profile Catholic human rights lawyer, died in a car bomb attack outside her home. Nobody has yet been charged with her murder.

The man has been charged with possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances and possession of ammunition, the police spokeswoman said.

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He appeared before Craigavon magistrates on Saturday and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear in court again tomorrow.

A 29-year-old man, who was arrested at the same time, has been released without charge, the police spokeswoman said.

Earlier today, a PSNI spokesman said they had arrested a 41-year-old in Portadown for serious terrorist offences. He is still being questioned.

The man was once a close associate of Billy "King Rat" Wright, the leader of the Loyalist Volunteer Force (LVF) who was shot dead inside the Maze Prison at Christmas l997.

PA