A former British army paratrooper was acting as a peacemaker when he was bludgeoned to death in Ballymena, Co Antrim, the High Court in Belfast was told yesterday. Mr Martin Edwards (43) died a week after he was attacked by a group of men in the Harryville area, said a Crown lawyer.
He said Mr Edwards, a diver, met a friend who had been drinking and who was "looking for a fight".
"Mr Edwards acted as a peacemaker and tried to pull his friend away from arguments, but to no avail. The two of them were attacked and knocked to the ground. Mr Edwards was kicked, punched and jumped upon. He died a week later."
The lawyer was opposing a bail application by Mr Carl Wright (18), from Lettercreeve, Ballymena, who is charged with Mr Edwards's murder. The application was refused.