Murder had paramilitary hallmarks, inquest told

A father-of-two was shot dead by a gunman in his Co Down home in a paramilitary-style attack just weeks after a fall out with people in the area, an inquest heard today.

Mark Apsley, aged 38, died instantly when one of five bullets fired at him as he went to the front door of his house in Ballygowan went through his heart, the hearing in Belfast was told.

PSNI Detective Inspector Ron Edgar told Coroner John Leckey that there had been no claim of responsibility for the murder but a paramilitary connection could not be ruled out.

“It has the hallmarks,” he said.

DI Edgar revealed: “I do know he had fallen out with people. There was some unpleasantness with some people in the area weeks before his death.”

He said Mr Apsley had “fringe contacts in the distant past” with loyalist paramilitaries.

Mr Apsley, who suffered from arthritis and was on medication was in bed feeling unwell when the gunman called at his home in Dickson Park on the evening of November 11 2002.

His five-year-old son answered the door to a caller who asked to speak to the boy’s father.

As Mr Apsley walked down the stairs up to five shots were fired at him through the glass front door, he died instantly.