Loyalists suspected of man’s ‘brutal’ doorstep murder

LOYALISTS were last night suspected of murdering a man after getting his young son to send him to the front door if his Co Down home.

They were also being blamed for a gun and petrol bomb attack on a house in north Belfast and the shooting of a teenager in west Belfast.

Mark Apsley (38), died in a hail of bullets when a lone gunman called at his house in Dickson Park in the village of Ballygowan on Saturday evening.

Police said they were trying to establish a motive for the brutal slaying but said the killing of the Protestant father-of-two was not thought to be sectarian.

They were understood to be investigating claims the killing was linked to a personal dispute between Mr Apsley and an east Belfast Ulster Defence Association boss.

Mr Apsley had only moved into the house on an estate in the small village of Ballygowan a month ago.

The victim’s five-year-old son answered a knock at the front door to a man who asked him to get his daddy, said police.

As Mr Apsley arrived at the door the gunman opened fire at point blank range, pumping five or six shots into his victim who died instantly.

His young son did not witness the killing, he had returned to the living room where his mother was sitting with his 18-month-old sister.

Locals described the murdered man as quiet and said he had only just moved in to the area.

One said: “It’s quite shocking”.

Loyalists were also being blamed for a gun and petrol bomb attack on a house in north Belfast early yesterday.

One of two petrol bombs set on fire a car and caravan outside the house in Westland Drive and there were reports of shots being fired as the attackers sped off in a car.