Three people have been charged in connection with the murder of a man during July 12th celebrations at a bonfire in Co Antrim, writes Suzanne Breen in Belfast.
Mr Andrew Cairns (22), who is believed to have had UVF connections, was kicked, beaten and then shot in the head.
He had been at Eleventh Night celebrations in Larne when the attack took place. It is understood to have been the result of an internal loyalist dispute.
Two men, aged 20 and 27, and a 25-year-old woman are expected to appear at a special court in Ballymena today. An RUC spokesman said the inquiry was being vigorously pursued.
"It is believed that 10 to 12 people were involved in the murder of Mr Cairns, who was chased, beaten and shot," he said.
The victim was buried in Larne on Saturday. Hundreds of people attended the funeral, and 16 men in white shirts and black armbands flanked the coffin as the cortege moved through the Old Glenarm Road where Mr Cairns was killed.
It paused at the bonfire site where the attack took place. Businesses in Larne closed for the funeral and the media were ordered to stay well back from the cortege.
Among those present was Mr David Ervine, the chief spokesman of the Progressive Unionist Party, the UVF's political wing, and other senior PUP representatives. Several mourners wore UVF ties, and the area around the victim's home was bedecked with the paramilitary group's flag.
