Woman murdered in North mansion

A MILLIONAIRE’S childminder was shot dead at his Georgian mansion yesterday. Mother-of-two Catrina Baird, 40, was gunned down in the courtyard of the house near Ballymena, Co Antrim.

A civil servant who works for the Police Service of Northern Ireland was later arrested by murder squad detectives.

A gun recovered in the grounds close to the mansion was later taken away for ballistic tests.

Villagers in Broughshane close to where she was killed were devastated at the news. Main Street butcher Terry McAllister said: “Nothing was too much trouble for her. She was a lovely girl with a soft personality who doted on her grandchildren.”

Mrs Baird, who was separated from her husband, worked for wealthy Co Antrim businessman Ken Dickson and his wife Barbara, a veterinary surgeon. They have two small children.

Several racehorses are stabled at their home on the Buckna Road, just outside the village.

Mrs Baird recently moved into a new home, close to her daughter who has two children. Her parents also live in the village.

Police sealed off the Dickson mansion to carry out a forensic examination of the courtyard where Mrs Baird was shot. Her former primary school teacher Helen McAllister said:

“I knew her all my life and this has come as a terrible shock. She was a nice, quiet girl. I spoke with her last Friday and she was fine,” he said.

As well as being a racehorse owner, Mr Dickson is also a property developer.

Mrs Baird was a regular customer at Mr McAllister’s butcher’s shop.

He added: “Everybody is devastated. Even now I can see her standing in front of me. It is such a tragedy. It’s very, very sad.”