Ill man linked to Belfast drug deaths party

A Belfast man is critically ill in hospital today after taking drugs at the weekend.

A Belfast man is critically ill in hospital today after taking drugs at the weekend.

It is believed his illness is linked to the house party involved in the deaths of three young men who died after taking a cocktail of drink and prescription drugs in west Belfast on Saturday night.

The 22-year-old was admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital on Sunday morning. A hospital spokesman said today: "He is critically ill in intensive care after taking drugs at the weekend".

The bodies of Mr Eamon McCoubrey (22) and his close friends Mr Thomas Sterrit (18) and Mr Jim O'Connor (20) were found on Sunday morning.

READ MORE

Two were found in the house where the party had been held, and the teenager was discovered in his home a short distance away.

There were emotional scenes today when hundreds of people attended Mr McCoubrey's funeral in west Belfast. The two other men were buried after separate services yesterday.

Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said the deaths had been a terrible tragedy for the three families and the whole community.

PA