Discovery of dismembered body stuns community

A TIGHTKNIT Belfast community was in shock last night after the discovery of a body, chopped up and stuffed into two wheelie bins.

The body was found outside a block of flats in the east of the city.

Detectives named the victim as William David McClatchey, 34, who was from the area.

A 42-year-old man was being questioned about the death. A ground-floor flat in the apartment block, believed to be his, was being examined by police and forensic experts.

Police went to the apartment block — Pottinger House, run by a housing association — on Monday after a tip-off. They made the discovery and soon afterwards made an arrest.

The courtyard was sealed off all day. One resident said he saw officers removing a bloodstained blanket from a bin.

A pensioner who lives in the flats said: “This gives me the shivers. I really can’t believe something like this could happen.

“I don’t really know if I want to stay in this area for much longer if this type of thing is going to happen.”

Belfast Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers, a councillor in east Belfast, said the death was horrendous.

“This is deeply worrying. There has been a rise in serious crime, not just in Belfast but right across Northern Ireland and I’m very concerned about it.”

East Belfast Democratic Unionist Assembly member Robin Newton said the discovery had created fear in the area.

“This is a close-knit community around the Mount area and there would be a lot of concern that someone who was prepared to carry out such violence would be living in the community.”

Mr Newton said the only way people would begin to feel safe again was when the person or persons responsible were behind bars.

“My understanding is that police were acting on information received from the public of suspicious circumstances.”