Loyalist faces murder charge

Jonathon Stewart was shot at a house in Manor Street, Belfast

A Belfast man who fled Northern Ireland with loyalist Johnny Adair's 'C' Company is on trial for murdering a man he called "a friend".

Wayne Stephen Dowie, 25, appeared in Belfast Crown Court on Monday, accused of the murder of Jonathan Stewart.

Mr Stewart, (22), was shot six times at a house in Manor Street, north Belfast, on 27 December 2002.

A prosecuting lawyer said Mr Dowie was masked when he allegedly murdered Mr Stewart.

However, he said that he was still identified by two former friends.

Mr Dowie, whose address at the time of his arrest was given as Chorley New Road, Bolton, denies the murder.

The prosecuting lawyer also told trial judge Mr Justice Hart that when Mr Dowie, who lived in the same street, fled Northern Ireland with "a number of well-known personalities - who appeared to give allegience to a man called Johnny Adair" - a man who had previously given him an alibi, retracted it.

The lawyer added that Mr Dowie later claimed the man did so after coming "under pressure from the UDA".

The court heard that Mr Stewart had been at the house in Manor Street attending an impromptu party, at which Mr Dowie was also a guest.

The lawyer said that he left the party only to allegedly return, masked and armed, and forced his way into the kitchen where he initially shot Mr Stewart once, then stood over him before firing repeatedly into his prone body.

The lawyer said that despite being masked, Mr Dowie was identified by two people.

Mr Dowie was initially arrested three days after the murder, but was released after claiming Mr Stewart was "a friend" and after he had been given an alibi.

He had claimed he had left the party at about 0500 GMT and returned to the house in Manor Street where he lived with another man who initially backed-up his alleged story.

However, the man later retracted the alibi, the court was told.

The murder was linked to a feud between elements of the UDA although Mr Stewart was not a member of any paramilitary organisation.

The trial continues.