Loyalist to stand murder retrial

A man already cleared of a loyalist-feud murder will stand trial again after the Court of Appeal in Belfast appealed against …

A man already cleared of a loyalist-feud murder will stand trial again after the Court of Appeal in Belfast appealed against the original ruling.

William "Mo" Courntey (43) walked free  last November after Mr Justice McLaughlin ruled that he had no case to answer on a charge of murdering Alan McCullough (21) in 2003.

However, the Crown has availed of new legislation allowing an appeal against the judge's decision and, in the first decision of its kind, three appeal judges directed that McCullough must stand trial again.

Mr McCullough fled to England with others in Johnny Adair's "C Company" when feuding broke out within the UDA but returned to the Shankill area of Belfast after his family got assurances he would not be harmed.

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He was last seen alive leaving his mother's house on May 28th, 2003, being driven away in a car.

His remains were found eight days later in a shallow grave at Mallusk, outside north Belfast. He had been shot in the head.