Man (51) charged with 1998 murder

A man (51) was charged with murder in Belfast last night by police investigating a 1998 Co Louth killing.

A man (51) was charged with murder in Belfast last night by police investigating a 1998 Co Louth killing.

He is due to appear in Belfast Magistrates’ Court today on charges of murder, kidnapping and false imprisonment.

Thomas Lockard (34), of Malone Road, Belfast, but living in Dublin, was bound, tortured and stabbed to death near the Border in Co Louth.

Mr Lockard disappeared from his home in south Belfast on April 25th, 1998. His badly beaten body was found two days later at the side of a road at Raskeagh near Dundalk.

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A second man (52) was arrested yesterday by the PSNI in relation to the murder but was later released.

The arrests by the PSNI working with gardaí were part of a renewed investigation.

Detectives made the arrests after a review of the case by the serious crime review team and Dundalk gardaí. – (PA)