Antrim murder victim was stabbed

A man whose bloodied body was found in a residential area of Northern Ireland had suffered stab wounds, it emerged tonight.

As detectives questioned a man about the murder, a post mortem examination confirmed he had been knifed during an attack in Co Antrim.

The 49-year-old victim was discovered dead in a grassy area at Hawthorn Way in Ballyclare.

Detectives, who do not believe the killing was sectarian, are understood to be probing claims a domestic dispute may have sparked the violence.

Police said there had been a fight at a house in the nearby Mossvale Park which then continued to the spot where the body was found.

Chief Superintendent Phil Wright said: ‘‘As a result of that confrontation a 49-year-old man was fatally injured.’’

A knife was later recovered at the scene.