POLICE are hunting a fourth man relating to the murder of Victor Hamilton, a court has heard.
Mario Menezes (33) from Portmore Street in Portadown and Mamadu Saido Djalo (29) from Springfield Crescent in west Belfast are jointly accused with a third male of the murder of 63-year-old Mr Hamilton on July 26.
Michael Hanrahan (41) from Thomas Street in Portadown is also on remand in relation to the incident.
Today, a police detective sergeant outlined how Mr Hamilton died as a result of a single stab wound.
He told Ballymena Magistrates Court that police enquiries established that on the day of the stabbing, Menezes got into Djalo’s car in Portadown, telecommunication evidence suggests they travelled to Ballymena together, that Djalo bought gloves in a shop near the victim's home and that all three defendants left together in the same car back to Armagh and Portadown.
Djalo himself, said the detective, had admitted to being at the scene and when his car was seized and examined, forensic scientists uncovered “blood and DNA relating to the victim… on the console between the passenger and driver seats".
He also revealed the murder weapon has not yet been found and that police are searching for a fourth suspect.
Djalo was arrested the day after the killing but tried to evade arrest by jumping from a first floor window. It was only with the assistance of police dogs that he was apprehended. Interviewed 22 times over four days, Djalo refused to answer questions until the 19th interview when he gave a prepared statement claiming he was at Orkney Drive “to retrieve clothes”.
The court heard that while Djalo had named a male allegedly responsible for inflicting the fatal wound, “he gave a first name and then refused to give any additional detail" and although that male has not yet been arrested, he is the subject of a “live investigation".
Fintan McAleer, acting for Menezes, put to the officer that with one stab wound causing Mr Hamilton’s death “that would suggest one assailant as opposed to four”.
In submissions, both defence counsellors argued their clients could be freed with stringent conditions to assuage police concerns such as sureties, electronic tags and geographic restrictions, highlighting there are “triable issues” in the case.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said while both men “enjoy the presumption of innocence,” he was satisfied there was sufficient evidence to connect them to the offence.
“I note that this is a live and ongoing investigation,” said the judge who concluded that he was refusing bail.
They were remanded into custody and the case adjourned to September 22.