Accused recalls 'loyalist threat'

A court has heard a man accused of the Michael McIlveen murder told police he tried to get rid of the murder weapon due to loyalist paramilitary threats.

The jury at Antrim Crown Court heard interviews with Christopher Francis Kerr, 22, of Carnduff Drive, Ballymena.

In them, he said he had asked two people to collect a baseball bat from his bedroom and "get rid of it, to do something with it."

Mr Kerr said he had witnessed the murder, but had not attacked Michael.

It is alleged that one of the people sent to pick up the bat is a juvenile, who is also also charged with the murder of the Catholic schoolboy, but cannot be named because of his age.

The police had already arrived at Kerr's home, before anyone was able to get the bat.

The defendant told police that during the attack on the 15-year-old in an alleyway close to Ballymena's town centre he stood "three or four feet away from" Michael and that as the schoolboy was trying to get up "he was hit by a baseball bat".

Mervyn Wilson Moon, 20, from Douglas Terrace in Ballymena, has already pleaded guilty to murder. He will be sentenced at the end of the trial.

The jury heard that Mr Kerr also told police that he saw a co-defendant, 19-year-old Jeff Colin Lewis, of Rossdale in Ballymena, kicking the victim.

Catholic schoolboy

Mr Kerr also named the juvenile as being involved in the kicking.

The jury heard the first of a number of interviews with Aaron Cavana Wallace, 20, from Moat Road in Ballymena.

He said he had gone to a cinema in Ballymena with the juvenile, Kerr, and two other co-accused - 18-year-old Christopher Andrew McLeister, from Knockeen Crescent in Ballymena, who is charged with murder, and Paul Edward David Henson, also 18, from Condiere Avenue, Connor, Ballymena, who is charged with criminal damage and affray.

Mr Wallace told police he saw the deceased and two friends arrive at the cinema and that Mr Kerr had gone over to speak to him.

After that, he said an argument started "just about Catholics being there" but he could not remember who was involved in it, who was shouting or what was being shouted.

The court heard Mr Wallace told police he saw Michael and another friend running away and that the crowd ran after them. He also said he heard the Catholic schoolboy shouting "care bear (the nickname for Mr Kerr), I thought you were a friend."

Mr Wallace admitted running with the crowd after the two boys, but only, because "I wasn't going to stand by myself".

He told an investigating officer that once he got to the alleyway where Michael McIlveen was attacked he saw a fight break out and saw "Michael falling to the ground".

"I didn't do one thing... I wasn't chasing them," he added.

At hearing.