Four arrested in young man’s murder inquiry

FOUR people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a young Sligo man, Sam Smith, in December.

The three men and a woman were arrested by detectives last night and are being held in stations in Sligo and Leitrim.

The men are aged 19, 21 and 57, and the woman is in her 50s. They are being held under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act and can be held for up to 72 hours.

Five people have now been arrested and questioned in connection with the doorstep murder on December 30.

A young woman was arrested and held for 72 hours of questioning in January and later released without charge.

Mr Smith, 23, was shot in the stomach by a lone gunman at his sister Bernadette Smith’s house in Carroll Drive. He later died from his injuries at Sligo General Hospital.

The arrests come two weeks after another sister, Mags Smith, publicly called on gardaí to explain why suspects in the case were still walking the streets of Sligo.

“Our Sam was only 23 and had his whole life ahead of him and all we are looking for is justice,” she said.

“We are not being critical of the gardaí who have been very kind and professional in their dealings with us and we appreciate that very much, but it is almost two months since our brother Sam was murdered in cold blood by a senseless coward who still walks the streets.

“We have seen this person in the street and it is very hard,” she said.