Found knife ruled out as Belfast teen murder weapon

A knife found close to the spot where a 15-year-old boy was killed earlier this month was not the murder weapon, police revealed today.

Detectives investigating the vicious stabbing of Thomas Devlin in the affluent Somerton Road area of north Belfast said they were satisfied the knife was not used in the attack.

However, they said it had not been ruled out of the ongoing investigation.

The knife was found by the resident of a house in the Somerton Road area while he was cutting a hedge at the rear of his home earlier this week.

The murder team issued a fresh appeal for anyone with information about the killing to contact them.

Thomas, a talented musician, was stabbed five times in the back as he and two friends were walking home on the evening of August 10 after buying sweets from a local shop.

One of the friends, aged 18, was also stabbed in the back but escaped with a minor injury thanks to a backpack. A 16-year-old managed to flee uninjured.

Police said after the killing that two males with a dog were believed to have been involved in the attack.

A number of people have been detained for questioning about the murder but released without charge.