Sheep-rustling theory after farmer shot dead

A farmer shot dead at his home in Northern Ireland may have been the victim of a feud over sheep-rustling, it emerged today.

Patrick Devine’s body was found with head wounds at his isolated farmhouse in Co Derry.

Murder squad detectives believe the gunman opened fire through a kitchen window.

Mr Devine, who was in his late 40s, lived alone in remote countryside, six miles from the village of Claudy.

He was discovered slumped in the hallway by his brother at noon yesterday.

Although there were no obvious signs of a break-in, bullet holes were spotted in a window near where the victim lay.

Post-mortem tests were being carried out to find out how long he had been dead.

As well as working as a psychiatric nurse, Mr Devine ran one of the biggest sheep farming operations in the north west.

Earlier this year, his younger brother was savagely beaten by a gang wielding baseball bats, and police are trying to establish if the shooting is connected to that attack.

Detective Superintendent Andrew Hunter, the officer leading the investigation, confirmed his officers were examining a possible row connected to stock.

He said: “One line of inquiry we are following is that there may have been a dispute over the possession of sheep.

“We are currently researching this issue.”

No gun was found at the scene, but ballistic checks were being run to determine if the weapon was used in any earlier shootings.

Mr Hunter added: “At this moment I’m not able to rule paramilitary involvement in or out.”

Staff from the Forensic Science Laboratory travelled from Belfast to begin searching the property and surrounding area for clues.

Thomas Conway, an SDLP councillor and farmer, who knew the victim, said neighbours were horrified.

“Everybody in the community is very, very shocked and stunned this has happened,” he said.

“This is a very tight-knit community, and this is something that’s very much out of character for the locality.”