A BROTHER of murder victim Conor McKee has told how Pope Francis prayed personally for the north Belfast man who was addicted to heroin.
The 31-year-old was killed at his parents' home in Glenpark Street in the Oldpark area last month, with police investigating a possible paramilitary link.
The murdered man's brother Tommy McKee made an emotional appeal at his funeral for anyone involved in drugs to seek help.
Speaking to the Irish News, he said he feels the public are unaware of the extent of the heroin problem and are "sleepwalking into an epidemic".
"I was as naive as the next person when it came to heroin, but because of what happened to my brother I'm more aware and I see it all around the place," he said.
"My brother had a loving family, our Conor was very lucky in that he had girlfriend in Michelle who was absolutely devoted to him. They were childhood sweethearts and no matter how hard things got she was always there for him - she's a rock, the strongest person I know.
"My mum and dad just loved him, he came from a family who all loved him, so he always had support.
"Conor didn't have a drug problem, he had a heroin problem and once heroin got a hold of him things spiralled out of control.
"People think of a heroin addict and they probably have an image a person who is down and out, living on the street.
"Conor was never like that and he did try, he went to a place in Armagh for help and they tried but he never stayed that long. He was on substitute programs but they are just switching one drug for another.
"My mother, she prayed hard for him, he had so many people who loved him and were willing him to get well."
From a devoutly Catholic family, Mr McKee revealed that his father got to meet Pope Francis in Rome the year before his brother's murder.
"He told Pope Francis he was having problems with his son and the Pope promised to pray for him.
"My mum and dad got a letter recently with sympathy for their loss and saying Pope Francis had prayed personally for Conor. That meant such a lot to them - their faith has been a great comfort to them."
While it is unclear exactly when the father-of-two became addicted to heroin, he told the family he needed help back in 2012.
"He told us one Friday - I got a call to go to the house that there was something wrong, and he was sitting there and he was incoherent, he was all over the place. He told us then he was on heroin," Mr McKee said.
"I'd no idea, but then you start noticing things. He would have isolated himself, the weight loss the loss of colour to his face. He never injected heroin, Conor was afraid of needles - he smoked it."
And the north Belfast man added: "There's more heroin out there than there is help, that's the problem. Dublin is a decade ahead of us, but it is coming and people just don't realise.
"There's a number he would have rung to get his drugs. His partner knew the number so if he went missing she'd have rung and said 'Where's your man' or whatever and then got her daddy or my daddy to drive to Stranmillis or wherever the dealer was and there would have been our Conor, wandering lost.
"Our Conor's generation should have been the ones who reaped the benefits of the Good Friday Agreement, but he didn't see it did he?
"I just want people to know if it happened to our family, it could happen to anyone."
