Police believe that a personal dispute rather than a loyalist feud or sectarian paramilitary attack was at the heart of the murder of a senior Ulster Defence Association (UDA) member by a man wielding a samurai sword.
The PSNI took the “unusual step” yesterday of naming Albert Armstrong (46) as the suspect for the murder of Colin “Bap” Lindsay (47), a senior UDA figure, and for critically wounding Stanley Wightman (52).
The incident took place at a house in Kirkistown Walk in the loyalist Belvoir housing estate in south Belfast on Wednesday night. It is believed the three men had been drinking at Mr Lindsay’s home and the victim was killed with his own samurai sword.
The murder raised immediate concern coming as it did just ahead of the Eleventh Night and Twelfth of July Orange Order and loyalist celebrations when cross community tensions are high in Northern Ireland.
PSNI Detective Chief Inspector Richard Campbell said the samurai sword was recovered from Mr Armstrong’s car. He said the attack was “extremely violent”.
“This was a very brutal attack and obviously very unpleasant for the officers and anyone else who had to see it,” he said.
Mr Lindsay was pronounced dead at the scene while Mr Wightman was taken to Belfast’s Royal Victoria Hospital with “significant injuries” to his neck and arms. He underwent emergency surgery and remains in a critical condition.
While Mr Lindsay is a personal friend of the UDA’s south Belfast “brigadier” Jackie McDonald, police do not believe the attack was motivated by loyalist infighting or that there was paramilitary involvement.
“I would emphasise this appears to be an incident that is motivated as a result of personal relationships and there is no wider paramilitary or criminal involvement that should raise tensions,” said Det Chief Ins Campbell.
“I’m taking the unusual step of naming the three men involved, because I believe that it’s important to do that as part of my appeal for information from the community,” he said.
Det Chief Ins Campbell said Mr Lindsay was “known to police” but that should not take away from the fact he suffered a “very brutal” and “completely unnecessary” death.
The local DUP Assembly member Jimmy Spratt said the murder had shocked residents in the Belvoir estate and it must be condemned.