Four Co Down men will have to wait another week before learning how long they must serve for the May 2017 "professional .. contract" killing of loyalist Colin Horner.
Alan James Wilson, Joseph Blair, Robert Ralph, and Ryan Graham Smyth, waved and give the 'thumbs-up' to family and friends as the sentencing was put back.
Mr Justice Colton told the men he has already sentenced to life, he wished to review the prosecution evidence and the submissions made by their defence counsel before determining their minimum sentence.
Earlier Crown counsel revealed that although unable to identify the actual gunman, it was the prosecution case while others were also involved, "each of these four accused were part of a joint enterprise involving the targeting and deliberate killing of Colin Horner.
"The court may conclude that there were paramilitary overtones to the murder. It was in the nature of a professional or contract killing, committed by such an organisation or a similar organised crime gang.
"A firearm was clearly used. It is further open to the court to concluded that it was planned," added the lawyer.
The court heard Horner may have suspected he was a target on May 28, 2017, when gunned down in front of his three-year old son Oscar in the Balloo Link carpark of Sainsbury's supermarket in Bangor. The 35-year-old father of two was shot up to six times by an unknown lone gunman dressed in black.
A lawyer said there had been another an earlier attempt to assassinate him. He said shortly before midnight on May 11 Horner phoned his partner to alert her up to 30 men were spotted near their home, telling her to get the police, and that: "If it's me they want then you are safe".
Counsel added that "it appears obvious that the 17th of May was the first attempt to kill Colin Horner."
As to the various roles of Newtownards men, 30-year-old Wilson of North Green, Blair (35), of Shackleton Walk, and Ralph, (47) of Donaghadee Road, and 31-year-old Bangor man Smyth of Widsor Gardens, Counsel said this was demonstrated through CCTV footage, text message traffic between the men, and cell-site analysis of thier mobile phones.
Also awaiting sentence on separate charges of withholding information on the brutal killing are 48-year-old Adrian Gordon Price, of Bristol Park, Newtownards, and 24-year old Conlig woman Terri Aicken, from Green Road. The murder charge against Price, was 'allowed to remain on the books' , as was a charge of perverting public justice against Aicken who were freed on continuing bail.
