Man held over 1986 murder

A man was arrested in Northern Ireland today by detectives investigating the murder of a man by loyalist paramilitaries more …

A man was arrested in Northern Ireland today by detectives investigating the murder of a man by loyalist paramilitaries more than 20 years ago.

The 44-year-old was detained in the Greater Belfast area by detectives from the historical enquiries team reinvestigating the murder of Robert Coggles in August 1986.

Mr Coggles, a 31-year-old Protestant from Sunningdale Gardens in north Belfast's Ballysillan area, is believed to have been killed by an Ulster Volunteer Force punishment squad.

His partially-decomposed body was found at Carr's Glen on the northern outskirts of the city. He had been shot in the head.

The body was discovered in a shallow grave after several days of police searches some two weeks after he disappeared.

A man out walking his dog raised the alarm after finding a tooth, bloodstains and a trail of blood leading to the grave several days after people in the area reported hearing shots in the early hours of the morning.

PA