Derry: Man charged with musician's murder

A man has been charged with the murder of a blues musician whose body was found in a river in the North, police said today.

The 27-year-old is accused of killing James Gilchrist in Derry last week. He has also been charged with making threats to kill.

When the body of Mr Gilchrist was first discovered in the River Foyle, police said they were not treating his death as suspicious.

It was only on Wednesday this week that they said they had changed their minds and carried out searches along the river front.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland said there had been marks on the victim’s body and that some of his personal items were missing.

The musician was last seen leaving the Oval Bar in the city’s Duke Street in the Waterside area in the early hours of September 28 after a meeting of a local motorcycle club.

The accused is due to appear at Derry Magistrates’ Court later.