Northern Ireland

Shooting of man (22) was 'attempted murder', police say

The shooting of a 22-year-old man in Co Derry earlier this month was attempted murder, police have said
The shooting of a 22-year-old man in Co Derry earlier this month was attempted murder, police have said The shooting of a 22-year-old man in Co Derry earlier this month was attempted murder, police have said

THE shooting of a 22-year-old man on a rural Co Derry road was attempted murder, police have said.

The man, named locally as Malachi Coleman, was shot in the head on Cairndaisy Road outside Moneymore earlier this month.

He remained critically ill in hospital last night.

Mr Coleman, from the townland of Newbridge, was found slumped inside a blue BMW car by a passer-by at around 9.50pm on March 9.

Following medical reports, police confirmed the young man had been shot in the head but no further details of the investigation were released at the time.

Detective Chief Inspector Will Tate said yesterday: "The incident is being treated as attempted murder at this time".

"It is almost three weeks since the man was found injured on the Carndaisy Road, and I would appeal to anyone who knows anything about the circumstances surrounding this incident to do the right thing and bring that information to police," he said.

"I would also appeal to anyone who saw a blue BMW in the Moneymore area prior to the time the incident was reported, or who noticed any suspicious activity in the Carndaisy Road area of Moneymore on the evening of Friday, 9 March to contact Detectives at Cookstown on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1484 09/03/18."

Sinn Féin councillor Peter Bateson appealed to anyone with information to pass it on to police. "I would completely condemn this shooting," he said.

SDLP MLA Patsy McGlone said: "It's very, very alarming that in a very quiet rural area an attempted murder has happened."