Northern Ireland

Turkish man to stand trial next year accused of murder of Eamonn Magee jnr

Eamonn Magee on holiday.
Eamonn Magee on holiday. Eamonn Magee on holiday.

A TURKISH man is to stand trial next year accused of the murder of Eamonn Magee jnr in west Belfast.

Orhan Koca (34), of no fixed abode, denies murdering the talented 22-year-old boxer with a kitchen knife on May 20, 2015.

Mr Magee jnr was found in the garden of a house in the Summerhill Park area of Twinbrook With a number of fatal stab wounds.

Koca was not produced from Maghaberry Prison for today's brief hearing at Belfast Crown Court.

Defence counsel Arthur Harvey QC told Mr Justice Treacy that a report would be produced by an educational psychologist "in relation to the IQ of the defendant'' to assist with the management of the trial.

Mr Harvey added that he was in discussions with the prosecution to have an "agreed independent educational pyschologist'' appoionted to carry out the assessment.

Mr Justice Treacy set the trial date for February 20, 2017. The trial is expected to last three weeks.

The case will be reviewed early in the New Year.