THREE men from the south Armagh village of Keady who are accused of murdering a local man, Mr Paul McGleenan, were freed on bail in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
The accused men are: Mr Matthew Rice (38), managing director of a building supply company, of Grangemore Row; Mr John Lappin (24), a lorry driver, of Rock Road; and Mr Francis Houlahan, also 24, unemployed, from High Street.
The partially clothed body of Mr McGleenan, aged 20, was found on waste ground in Keady on January 2nd. A post mortem examination revealed that he died from a head injury.
The court was told that the charge had now been descheduled, which means the trial will be held before a jury.
A crown lawyer said the defendants met the statutory conditions of bail but there remained the possibility of adverse public reaction if they were released.
Mr Kevin Finnegan QC, for the defendants, described them as the "last sort of people in the world you would expect to find facing a charge of murder".
He referred to tension at the time of the killing and said a letter from the local parish priest, which he handed in to the court, would relieve any fears in that regard.
Mr Finnegan, who appeared with Mr Gregory Berry (instructed by Mr Liam Mallon), said that taking the evidence at its height it seemed likely the charge would be reduced.
He said Mr McGleenan was alive when he was left on the waste ground, and it was now known that his injury could have taken up to four hours to prove fatal.
"There is nothing sinister about the partially clothed aspect of the case," he said. "They took some of his clothes off him, in the words of one of them, to put manners on him."
Granting bail, Mr Justice Pringle told the three men that they could consider it a very generous decision.
"It is up to you to honour your bail and do nothing to add to the gravity of the situation," he said.
The judge warned that if tension arose because bail had been granted he might have to reconsider the matter.
He fixed Mr Rice's bail at £5,000 with two sureties of £1,000 each, and the other two men's at £500 with two sureties of £500.
"The distinction is because of their relative wealth as I understand it," he said.
The defendants were also ordered to report to the RUC once a week and live at addresses outside Keady which were not disclosed.