'Merciless' murder of young woman

Julie-Ann Osborne was found stabbed at her home

A detective investigating the murder of a 22-year-old woman who was stabbed to death in west Belfast, has described it as one of the "most brutal" he had had to deal with.

A man is being held for questioning after the body of Julie-Ann Osborne was found at 1600 GMT on Wednesday afternoon at her home in Shankill Terrace.

She was the mother of a young daughter.

Julie-Ann suffered a merciless and savage death. The community in the Lower Shankill must give the police the evidence they need to bring her killer before the courts

RUC spokesman

The police have appealed to people in the lower Shankill area to provide them with any information about movements around her home on Wednesday.

RUC Chief Inspector Roy Suitters said: "Julie-Ann suffered a merciless and savage death.

"It is vital to the investigation that the police can establish all movements or activity around her home from Wednesday morning until her body was found on Wednesday afternoon."

Mr Suitters added: "The person or people who carried out this attack would be badly bloodstained.

"Obviously the murder weapon would be badly bloodstained, so we are appealing to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity, which looked like anyone disposing of clothes or sharp implements, by putting them into plastic bags or skips to contact us."

Ms Osborne was the fifth person in the province to die after being stabbed since Christmas Eve.

A man was arrested after the stabbing

Ulster Unionist Party councillor Chris McGimpsey said the murder was "another tragedy afflicting our community" following the deaths of seven people which were linked to loyalist feuds in north and west Belfast since the summer.

He said: "There are 16 houses in Shankill Terrace and the UDA put seven of those 16 out during the feud.

"This location and the upset particularly caused by the feud is still feeding increases in violence."

Mr McGimpsey added: "This is deeply saddening that a young girl of 22 has been murdered. Our thoughts must go out to her family."