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Vigil takes place for west Belfast murder victim

 The mother of Christopher Meli at the vigil in memory of her murdered son
 The mother of Christopher Meli at the vigil in memory of her murdered son  The mother of Christopher Meli at the vigil in memory of her murdered son
By Andrea McKernon

A CANDLELIGHT vigil has taken place in west Belfast at the family home of 20-year-old Christopher Meli who was murdered on Friday night.

His distraught parents and siblings were joined by friends and relatives as well as members of the local community who gathered at the Springfield Road home of the tragic father-of-one to pay tribute.

Christopher was beaten to death in what police describe as a "sustained and vicious" assault. 

Mr Meli's mother Vanessa and his father Christopher, struggled to contain their grief as well as his brothers and other relatives and friends.

The distraught couple had earlier told The Irish News they believe their son was set upon by "a group of up to 30 people" who were "off their heads on Es" and was robbed as he lay dying in Glasvey Close in the Twinbrook estate.

Mr Meli said his son and his friend had left a property in Twinbrook and "gone through an alleyway" to buy alcohol and cigarettes shortly before midnight on Friday when they were confronted.

He said: "There was a confrontation with two to three males. One had walked over and hit Ryan."

A post mortem examination revealed he died of multiple head injuries after being kicked and punched.

Two men aged 18 and a 16-year-old boy were arrested on Saturday, while two teenage males aged 17 and 18 were arrested on Sunday.

Friends of Mr Meli and other young people were visibly distraught at the sombre gathering on Monday night at Sliabh Dubh that was organised to support the grieving family.

Det Ch Insp Richard Campbell, who is leading the murder investigation, said a "picture is starting to emerge of what happened".

"At this stage I believe that Christopher was one of a group of four people, when he was set upon by a number of individuals from a much larger group," he said.

"There appears to have been an initial incident on the Stewartstown Road before the attack on Christopher in an area known locally as Doc's Lane. Christopher became separated from his friends and he was fatally assaulted at the location where his body was found.

"Some of those people who were in that larger group may not have been involved in the attack on Christopher, nor may they have anticipated the outcome of the attack."

Appealing for those people to contact police, he said: "Come to us before we come to you."